The Prometheus Koan
by Yumeko1
Summary: The clones at St. Kleio may be the rebirth of historical figures, but they're also normal teenagers. Clone Mary Shelley is no different, though her best friend Mozart wishes she was, especially when it comes to the guy she has a crush on.
1. Just Another Extraordinary Girl

"Keep going! You can do it!" There was only one girl sitting on the bleachers in front of the track at St. Kleio Academy, wearing the same white t-shirt and blue shorts combination as the rest of the girls who were playing volleyball on the other side. Her attention, however, was focused on the boys that were running around the track. As the only person watching them, she felt it was her duty to keep them motivated through their laps. "Go, Napoleon! Just a bit more, Hitler! Don't let Freud pass you up, Jung!" For the most part, the boys smiled at her while they were panting or, in the case of a boy with long blonde hair tied back with a black ribbon, shot her a sardonic grimace. When she saw one of the boys making it around the track again, she fell silent for a moment and turned her attention strictly toward him.

It was easy to pick him out of the crowd, and not just because he had lapped the others at least twice. He was taller than most of them, with extremely close-cropped black hair that extended in one small area on the left side of his face in a set of bangs that nearly touched his chin. A pair of fashionable, black framed glasses flashed slightly in the sun and obscured his almond-shaped brown eyes, which was a terrible shame in her opinion. It finally looked as if he was beginning to get tired, but she had kept herself from cheering like a sports fan so he wouldn't think she was fixated on him. Now, though, as he passed the frontmost runner again she couldn't help but call out to him.

"Awesome, Ikkyu! Just one more," she shouted, grinning. Her heart stopped for a moment when he turned toward her and grinned back good-naturedly, even going so far as to wave at her. Then he pushed his glasses up on his sweaty nose and continued to run. It could have been her imagination, but it looked like he was running a little faster. He had just crossed the finish line again when the coach blew the whistle and the boys stopped running. The one she had called Ikkyu doubled over with his hands on his knees and started panting, and the girl watched him intently while another boy with tousled sandy brown hair slapped him on the back.

"I hope you aren't getting yourself all worked up over here," said the blond boy, walking over to where she was sitting with the same irritable look on his face. "The only reason you're out here is to get some sunlight."

"I'm fine, Amadeus," she said with a sigh, picking up a small towel and tossing it to him so he could dry his face. "I was just giving you guys some encouragement."

"Don't give me that," he said, rolling his eyes. "The only reason you cheered for the rest of us was so he wouldn't know you were cheering for him." Before the girl could retort, a female coach came around the corner with her hands on her hips.

"Mary Shelley, you're supposed to be watching the other girls, not chit-chatting with the boys."

"Yes, ma'am." The girl stood up and shot a filthy look at the blonde boy that clearly said he had better not say anything to anyone else before she followed the coach, who was giving her a stern talking to as they rejoined the rest of the girls as they walked to the building. She didn't argue with the coach, simply nodded and looked properly contrite on her way to the shower. When she was finally released, she paused by the window for just a moment in the hopes she would see him again. A tall, dark-haired shape across the field suggested his movements but she couldn't tell for sure. With a sigh, she picked up a towel and went to the locker room to undress with his brief smile and wave to keep her company and remind her that for just a moment he'd paid attention to her.

It wasn't as if no one ever paid attention to Mary Shelley. As a student of St. Kleio Academy, she always had the eyes of the publishing world on her in the hopes she would turn out something spectacular. This wasn't as farfetched as it might have seemed to an outsider, as she wasn't simply a young lady with the same name as the author of _The Modern Prometheus_, but a clone of the very woman brought to life again.

Every student at St. Kleio was a clone of some historical figure, and the blonde boy that was waiting for Mary outside the locker room was no exception. Almost everyone in the school referred to him by his surname, but she was the only one who called Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by the name his original had preferred more than two hundred years earlier.

"Don't give me that worried look," he said before she could speak. "Your dirty little secret is safe with me for another gym period." Mozart ran a hand through his long hair and let it settle around his shoulders. He was quite handsome and completely aware of the fact, but Mary regularly reminded him that she was the only one who could stand him for extended periods of time due to his nature. Mozart liked to refer to it as aloofness, but Mary knew it was a lordly disdain for anyone he deemed unworthy of his time. Unfortunately, this included almost every person that crossed his path.

"One of these days I'll just tell him myself," Mary mumbled, looking around to make sure Ikkyu wasn't around to hear. Mozart snorted in reply.

"Oh yes, of course you will. Surely this year will be the one." They walked together to the History classroom sniping at one another, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the students that were walking past them. Each and every one of them represented a clone of a famous person, the demise of whom was considered a great loss for the world. The purpose of the clones, as they had been told repeatedly throughout their short lives, was to one day step into the shoes of their originals and continue and further the works they had begun. For the moment, though, they were all teenagers in every other respect and Mary Shelley was desperately worried that Mozart was going to let it slip that she had a crush on the clone of Ikkyu Sojun, the eccentric Zen monk who would have been the Emperor of Japan under different circumstances.

If there was one thing he shared with his original, it was definitely eccentricity. Everything from Ikkyu's hair to his taste in music was different from the rest of the students, and if they had been in a normal high school, he would have easily been the comedian of the group. Mary admired his easygoing nature, and the fact that he never seemed to worry about anything. She supposed this was a product of his Buddhist study but found it attractive all the same.

From her seat in the center of the room beside Mozart, she leaned her head in her hands and gazed at the back of his head while she listened to the professor drone on about economics. He yawned halfway through the lecture and she smiled, wishing she could be so direct about her feelings on the subject. One of the good things about being Mary Shelley was that she wasn't expected to be too concerned with certain subjects, such as economics and physics, so she was free to let her mind wander to more interesting topics.

Looking around the room brought more interesting sights. Queen Elizabeth Tudor was frowning and staring at the wipeboard as if by doing so she could make herself understand. Einstein was glaring at the miniature teddy bear on Adolf Hitler's desk. Hitler wasn't paying any attention, simply listening to the lecture while he tapped the bear on the head with his pencil absently. Carl Jung and Immanuel Kant were muttering to each other while Sigmund Freud shot them dirty looks and in the back corner Susan B. Anthony was dozing off.

Mary opened her notebook, where long lines of words had been scrawled in the handwriting reserved for her thoughts when she was in a hurry to get them down before she either forgot or the teacher noticed what she was up to. Scribbled in the margin was a pair of staffs and a bracket with notes cascading up and down the lines. She glared at Mozart, whose eyes darted away just a few seconds too late. Narrowing her eyes, Mary quietly tore out a piece of paper from her notebook.

_You're an ass, Amadeus. I told you to stop writing in my things,_ she wrote, then folded it in half and slipped it onto his desk. Mozart took it, opened it and smirked, then wrote something back on it and tossed it casually onto her desk without bothering to fold it or hide what he was doing.

_I thought you might like to take some time to study the music we're playing for a change. There's only so much of your John Stanley impersonation I can take._

Instead of writing something in reply, Mary crumpled up the paper and threw it at his head. Mozart leaned back in time for it to sail past him and it bounced off the back of Napoleon's head instead. The good-looking, sandy haired boy who had patted Ikkyu on the back turned to see where it had come from and grinned when he made eye contact with Mary, who was bright red.

"_I'm sorry_," she mouthed at him and pointed at Mozart. "_It was his fault._" Napoleon Bonaparte shook his head and handed the paper to Ikkyu, whispering something in his ear. Ikkyu in turn leaned back and handed the ball of paper to Mary. "Th-thank you," she said, so unnerved that she forgot to whisper.

"Mary Shelley, Ikkyu, Napoleon? Is there something the three of you would like to share with us?" The professor turned a sharp gaze on Mary, who shook her head and turned even redder.

"Her paper blew over here, I was just having him give it back," Napoleon said with a shrug. "Must be some kind of draft in here. You should check the windows." The professor didn't look convinced, but went back to the lecture without further questions. Mary gave Mozart the sort of look that clearly said she was going to throw something heavier at him when they were finished with class, and this time she wasn't going to miss. Mozart looked supremely unconcerned by this.

Once the bell rang and the students were starting to get up to go to their next classes, Mary lagged behind so she wouldn't have to walk past Napoleon and Ikkyu.

"Hey, that's pretty good," Ikkyu was saying to Hitler and turning the little bear over in his hand. "Your original was an artist, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Hitler said with a nod. He was a quiet boy, calm and reserved for the most part. The little contact Mary had with him had made him seem like he was fighting desperately to overcome the reputation of his original but the only way he had of doing so was by being pleasant. "Making little things like that is a hobby of mine. It isn't one of my better ones, though."

"Really? I think it's pretty good."

"You would certainly know," beamed Hitler. "Your original made dolls too, you know. They say it's a sign of a thoughtful spirit." He picked up his books and started out of the room, turning back to point at the bear. "You can keep it if you like."

"Uh, thanks?" Ikkyu smiled at Hitler until he was out of sight, then turned to Napoleon and Freud, the latter of whom was smirking. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Ikkyu frowned at the miniature teddy bear and held it up by one leg.

"I-I think it's cute," Mary said quietly. For a moment she thought he hadn't heard her but when he turned around in his chair to look at her she blushed, horrified that she had said something to him without realizing it.

"Here, you can have it then." With a grin, he tossed it to her and Mary caught it in both hands.

"Th-thank you!" Her face turned even redder as she looked down at it and Ikkyu shrugged cheerfully before picking up his bag and heading for the hall. When he was gone, she continued to sit in her chair staring down at the little bear in her hands.

"I can't say much for your taste," Mozart said over her shoulder and she looked up to find him shaking his head at her. "In toys or in clones."

"Shut up, Amadeus." Mary looked at the door where Ikkyu and his friends had just departed and sighed softly, then looked back down at the bear. "I happen to think he's nice. He could have just told Hitler he didn't want it, but he didn't want to hurt his feelings."

"He's an idiot."

"You say that about everyone who isn't you," said Mary waspishly.

"Come along, Mary," Mozart said, refusing to dignify this with a reply. "I need you in the conservatory to help me with my composition."

"Why me?" She finally looked up from the bear. "Why is it always me?"

"Because you're the only one around here who doesn't cry when I tell them they'd be better off slapping at the keys with a pair of rubber gloves." He waited patiently for her to get up from her chair and put her books in her bag, rolling his eyes when she gently tucked the bear into it.

"That's only because I know it's the way you express your affection toward me." Mary yawned and walked with him out of the room into the hallway. Students were walking in groups together and Mozart saw her eyes scanning them until she saw the little group of students that Ikkyu hung around with walking together further up. Her cheeks turned red again and Mozart gave her a smirk.

"Shall I get his attention? Perhaps ask if he'll make a little doll for you?"

"No!" She looked at him, panicked. "Let's just get to the conservatory. The last thing I need is to make an idiot of myself in front of him."

"Again."

"Shut _up, _Amadeus." They turned down the hallway, moving in the opposite direction from the group that included Napoleon, Ikkyu and Shiro Kamiya, the only non-clone at the school, who was the son of the school's head researcher. "Why do you always have to be so-"

"-realistic?" He inclined his head slightly at her and she sighed. "If you didn't want to be reminded of it, you shouldn't have told me about it in the first place."

"If I had anyone else to talk to, I would."

"Other people are overrated," Mozart said, flipping his hair. "If you weren't so concerned with what a certain 'other person' thought, it wouldn't have been so embarrassing." Mary considered arguing with him but changed her mind at the last second, thinking that the incident in question would have been embarrassing even if she didn't spend a third of her day dreaming about him.

_Late, late, late_, Mary thought as she hurried down the hall toward her class. _I can't believe I overslept, that never happens!_ She supposed it was a side effect of her medication, as she would later when she replayed the embarrassment over in her head. At the time, though, all she knew was that she felt a sudden wave of dizziness overcome her while she was walking down the stairs. When she reached for the bannister to steady herself, her hand slipped on a patch of water that had dripped down from the ceiling and she was tumbling headfirst down the stairs.

Thankfully, it was a short flight and she broke her fall with her forearms, landing in a heap at the bottom with her books around her. _Ow_, she thought, pushing herself back into a half-sitting position and rubbing her arm. _Ugh. Forget History, I'm going straight to Dr. Kamiya and asking him to change this medication._

"You okay?" A hand appeared in her line of sight and Mary closed her eyes. She recognized the voice immediately and wished she could sink into the floor.

"I'm all right," she said, forcing herself to look up at Ikkyu. He was looking down at her with concern, and she took his hand nervously. It was warm and surprisingly soft and she let him help her up slowly so she could hold it longer. "Thank you."

"No problem. It looked like you fell kind of hard. Do you need me to get Dr. Kamiya?"

"I'm going to see him," Mary replied, letting go of his hand with reluctance. "Thank you, though." She leaned down to pick up her books and heard him cough.

"Um," he said, and she glanced back at him over her shoulder. Ikkyu's face was bright red and when she made eye contact with him, he suddenly turned his eyes to the ceiling. "Uh, you should-you should probably-"

"Huh?"

"Y-your skirt," Ikkyu stammered. "It's, uh, I mean-" Still not looking at her, he pointed at her uniform. Curiously, Mary looked at her rear to discover with horror that her skirt was flipped upward, exposing the striped green panties she had decided to wear that day. She shoved it down with a gasp, her face turning redder than his, and squatted down to pick up the rest of her books.

"I'm sorry!" Mary scooped up her things and backed down the hall as if he could see through her skirt. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he said, still focused on the ceiling. "I mean, uh, it happens, right?" Mortified, Mary hurried down the hallway, not even stopping when he called after her. "I'll tell the professor you went to see Dr. Kamiya, okay Melanie?"

Horrified by the fact that she had flashed him and stung by the fact that he hadn't even known her name, Mary fought back tears as she ran. Her chest was burning, but she didn't care. _Maybe I'll __have a heart attack._

"If you aren't going to pay attention to what you're doing, you might as well go to your dorm and write," Mozart scolded for the tenth time, and Mary slammed her hands down on the piano keys with a groan of frustration.

"Then play it yourself!" She shoved the piano bench back and stood up. "My original was a writer, not a musician."

"Your original played piano in her spare time. She said it helped her imagination." Ignoring her arms folded across her chest, Mozart sat down on the bench. After a moment, he put his fingers on the keys and began to play. The music soothed Mary in a way she hadn't thought was possible, and for a moment she was able to forget about the embarrassment in the past. Mozart's music had always been able to calm her, and she knew it was likely because it reminded her of the comfort of being in one place with one person who accepted her for who she was and not who she was expected to become. "Come along, Mary," he said again. "I need you to help me play my original's sonata for four hands again. There's no other way for me to get the feeling right."

"Why are you trying to write this thing, anyway?" With a sigh, Mary sat beside him and put her head on his shoulder. Mozart scowled at her and tugged his long blonde hair out from under her cheek. "You should just write something normally and stop tormenting me."

"Because I think my original missed a wonderful opportunity in not writing this in D-Major but I can't play it on my own." He continued to move his fingers absently on the keyboard and she tucked her arm through his, careful not to make him miss a note. "You're thinking about it again," he said with a sigh. "You really should stop dwelling."

"You're the one who brought it up," muttered Mary.

"Just think about the fact that he gave you that silly little stuffed thing and help me play." Finally, he took his hands from the keys and looked at Mary with a tiny smile. He put a hand on her head lightly, as if she was a small child. "If you're really so intent on him, you should simply speak to him about it. He's very...cheerful."

"It's a nice change," Mary said, putting her hands on the keys. Mozart paused and let her get ready. "All my other friends take life too seriously."

"You don't need any other friends," Mozart said, "And perhaps it wouldn't hurt you to take life a bit more seriously." He looked over at her, then nodded at the sheet music on its stand. "Now, let's begin again."

She'd played it so many times that she didn't need to pay attention to the music. She knew that he would complain that she wasn't taking it seriously but didn't care. Mary was too busy thinking about Ikkyu and the way he'd smiled at her when he tossed her the bear. She knew it didn't mean anything, that he probably still didn't remember her name, but it meant the world to her. He could have easily tossed it to Marie Curie, or Florence Nightingale, or Elizabeth, but he gave it to her because she had said it was cute. The memory of his hand on hers made her smile and she wandered off into her favorite daydream of walking down the hall with him, her arm through his. In it he was grinning, proud to let everyone see she was his girlfriend.

_Girlfriend_, she thought, blushing. _I don't think they'd even allow that sort of thing here. But Himiko and Rasputin..._

"Let's go on to the Andante," Mozart said, breaking into her thoughts. "And could you please try to keep your mind off the eccentric monk for a moment?"

"Shut up, Amadeus."

They continued to play for another half an hour, then Mary sat on the couch and wrote while Mozart made notes and scribbled on his sheet music, pausing every now and again to play a few bars. When dinner came around, they went to eat together as usual, a pair of crisp sky-blue uniforms in a sea of casual clothes. Most students changed into more comfortable clothes after class but neither Mary nor Mozart had gone back to their dorm.

The majority of girls walked toward the dorms in pairs and groups but Mary hung back on her own. They were all laughing and talking, joking about this and that, and none of them had a glance to spare for her. She looked over her shoulder at the boys' dorm across the lawn, wondering which room was his for a moment before she went inside and disappeared into her room.

After a hot shower, Mary sat cross-legged on her bed in her pajamas with her long hair piled on top of her head and her computer balanced on her lap. Her tendency to sit in this fashion meant that she usually favored pants over skirts, and her nightwear was no exception; tonight's choice was a pair of capri pants and a thin t-shirt.

She fell back against her pillows and her computer slid sideways off her lap and into the comforter with a rustle. The little bear that had traveled from Hitler's hands to Ikkyu's and finally to hers was sitting on the desk and she picked it up with a smile.

_He waved at me,_ she thought, a warm feeling racing through her veins. _He smiled and waved at me, then he gave me this even though I hit his friend with a piece of paper_. Mary put the bear to her face and inhaled, as if she was going to be able to smell the brief contact Ikkyu had with it. She wasn't sure it was worth getting up in the morning, since there was no way the day could be any better than the one she had just lived.

Mary stood up to put aside her computer and was struck by a sudden dizziness that forced her back into a sitting position. She tried to look up and the world seemed to slide sideways, which meant that she was listing to one side, so she lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. Her fingers brushed against the bear and she curled them around it and squeezed tightly.

_Better take my medication and get some sleep,_ she thought. _I'll feel better when I wake up._


	2. Little Sister Complex

But Mary didn't feel much better in the morning. It took her much longer than she expected to get out of bed, since each time she moved the room began to spin. When she was finally able to get dressed and made it to the dining hall, Mozart was already taking his tray to be cleaned.

"I waited for you outside your dorm this morning but you didn't come out," he said curiously. "Are you not feeling well?"

"Not particularly," Mary admitted. "Kind of dizzy and lightheaded."

"Perhaps you should go to the hospital instead of classes. I can make your excuses to the teachers if you like." She shook her head and he frowned. "Well, at least have some breakfast. You won't clear your head if you don't eat properly."

"Just some juice," she said, shaking her head again. "My stomach is kind of unhappy too."

"You're a mess," Mozart sighed. "Have a seat, I'll get the juice for you and we can go to History together." He made sure she was sitting down before striding to the counter to turn in his tray and order something for her to drink.

In spite of her dizziness, Mary smiled. He might have seemed like a cold, uncaring snob to some people but Mozart had always been like a brother to her. As much as she wanted to hit him with one of her loafers on occasion, she supposed she loved him. He returned with a small container of dark red juice and a straw.

"Here," he said. "Be careful with it this time. Last time you dyed your entire uniform pink."

"Grape? Ugh, Amadeus." She took the juice from him. "You know I can't stand grape juice."

"This is pomegranate juice, it's better for your heart," he said, sitting across from her and watching her poke the straw into the juice. "Hurry up and drink it, we're already going to be late." The rest of the students were already heading out of the dining hall and into the building for class.

"You don't have to wait for me," Mary said, sipping the juice. Much to her relief, it was sweet and a little tart. "I'll just sit here for a bit until I feel better."

"That's right, you will. And I'll sit with you so that when you pass out you won't be alone in the middle of the hallway until someone steps on you." He leaned back in his chair and took out a few sheets of music and a pen.

"Mary, are you coming to the meeting this evening?" A slim girl with light brown hair that fell just above her shoulders stopped at the side of the table. Mary looked up at her and nodded.

"I think so. I'm not feeling terribly well, but it shouldn't be too taxing. And I'm really looking forward to hearing Susan's presentation." She took another long drink of her juice and the girl smiled brightly.

"Good! We really would like you to join, Susan thinks you'd be a great asset to our group." With a small wave, she headed for the door. "I hope you feel better!"

"Thank you, Amelia." Mary watched Amelia Earheart go and bit her lip uncertainly. Ever since Susan B. Anthony had started their Women's Politics group with Helen Keller, they'd been trying to get Mary to join. The clone of a well-educated feminist radical would have been ideal for them, but she'd been hesitant and had so far managed to avoid their meetings.

"Making friends?" Mozart raised an eyebrow at her and she looked down at his sheet music. "You're a writer, not an activist."

"It's just an extracurricular group," she said. "My original was deeply influenced by her father's and husband's political friends, perhaps I'll learn something from them. It could be fun." Mozart gave her a dubious look and she drained the last of her juice. "Besides, I never get to spend any time with other girls."

"If you're so set on it, then you should go to the hospital now so you'll be feeling better in time for the meeting this evening," he said, turning back to his sheet music. "You can't keep spreading yourself so thin, Mary, it's not healthy."

"Shouldn't we be getting to class?"

"Are you feeling better?"

"Well enough." She stood up, careful not to let him see how dizzy she still was. "The professor is going to have an aneurysm if we're more than ten minutes late." Mozart shrugged and joined her on her way, walking at his usual leisurely pace while Mary tried to hurry him along.

"Well, well," the professor said as Mary and Mozart walked into class. "Mary Shelley and Mozart have decided to grace us with their presence after all. Could I trouble you two to take your seats or would you prefer to remain standing?"

Mary stared adamantly at the floor as she hurried to her desk, her cheeks burning. She could hear the rest of the class giggling and whispering, and she kept her attention on her books as she took them out of her bag. Meanwhile, Mozart walked unconcernedly to his desk and sat down with his arms folded across his chest. She wished she let things slide off her as easily as him, but they didn't share the same sense of entitlement and she was far too concerned with the way other people thought of her. Her only consolation was that Ikkyu wasn't in her History class.

She was on time to her next class, which was just down the hall, and parted company with Mozart. While he went to his Music Theory lesson, she joined another group of students for Math. It was her worst subject by far but Mary was glad to be there because she could sit at the back of the room, write and watch Ikkyu doze off. Like clockwork, his head began to droop twenty minutes into the lecture and Mary opened her notebook and started to write.

Instantly, she was transported to the world inside her head and she wrote nonstop through the lesson until she noticed other students standing up around her. Mary looked up and saw that the professor was gone and she had gone through fifteen pages in her notebook. She flipped through them and was pleased to find that most of them were legible without much effort, something that was unusual for one of her in-class writing sessions. Lunch was next on the agenda and she wondered if she had time to get her computer from her dorm room before she met Mozart for lunch. Tossing her bag over her shoulder, she headed for the hall with the dizziness that had plagued her all morning gone from her mind.

Two steps from the door, her heart started going crazy in her chest. She pressed her hand over it, as if she could cause it to slow down by doing so but it continued. It felt more like her heart was lightly fluttering than beating and dark spots started swimming over her vision.

_Got to get to Amadeus_, she thought, trying to shake them off. _Can't pass out here, not in front of Ikkyu. He's going to think I'm a complete wreck if I do_. Mary staggered into the hall, each breath causing her intense pain. She saw Mozart walking down the hall toward her engrossed in a libretto and relief flooded her. "Amadeus," she managed weakly, raising the hand that wasn't on her chest.

Somehow, miraculously, he heard her and looked up from his music. The moment he saw her pale, sweaty face he dropped everything and rushed to where she had leaned against the wall. "Are you going to be able to walk to the hospital?"

"Maybe," she wheezed. "I can walk enough so that he doesn't see me, I think." Mozart frowned and looked over her shoulder to where Ikkyu, Napoleon and Florence were watching her with concern. He put an arm around her and pulled her to him, shielding her from their view and guiding her down the hallway toward the door.

"Are you having trouble breathing?"

"A bit," she said. "My chest hurts." Mozart pushed the door open that led to the corridor between buildings and helped her through it. No sooner had she spoken than her eyes rolled back in her head and she slid out of his grasp and onto the ground.

"Ah, well," he sighed as he loaded her onto his back and started for the hospital wing. "At least you won't be embarrassed this time."

It had been a long time since he had to carry her anywhere, and he was surprised by how heavy she'd gotten. It was also troubling that her health was declining again. She'd been fairly stable for a while, even able to participate in some of the less rigorous sports, but lately she'd been more tired and weak than usual and had been advised by Dr. Kamiya to take it easy. Mozart had been keeping a close eye on her to make sure she was doing as he instructed, and hadn't seen anything that would make him think she was straining herself. It could only mean one thing, and he wasn't pleased about it.

"Oh, hello, Mozart." Dr. Kamiya was standing in the hospital wing with a cup of coffee in his hand when Mozart came in with Mary on his back. "What's wrong with Mary?"

"Passed out in the hall. She was clutching her chest and having trouble breathing." He dropped Mary unceremoniously on one of the beds and rotated his shoulder. "I happened to run into her on my way to lunch."

"Oh, I see. Well, I suppose I'll get her on the machines and see what's going on. You should head on over to lunch." Dr. Kamiya set aside his coffee and rummaged in his pocket for a stethoscope. Mozart watched him settle the earpieces into his ears and run it over her chest.

"I'd rather wait."

"Suit yourself." Still listening to her chest, he picked up her wrist. "Hmm. They don't quite match. How has she been feeling, do you know?"

"She said she was feeling dizzy and tired this morning. I tried to convince her to come here first thing but she said she would be fine." He folded his arms over his chest with an irritable sigh. "When she wakes up, I'm going to make sure the first thing she hears is me saying I told her so."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy that. In any case, her vitals seem to be leveling out. Her medication probably just needs to be adjusted but I'm going to keep her here overnight," Dr. Kamiya said, straightening. "I want to monitor her and make sure she stays in bed." He went to the door and motioned for a nurse to come into the room. "Get Mary Shelley changed and hook her up to the ECG, oxygen monitor and blood pressure. Oh, and start an IV. If I know her, she hasn't eaten since last night and needs some electrolytes."

"Hmph." Shaking his head, Mozart went into the hallway. "I suppose I'll go get her things from the dorm and bring them, or she'll have a fit without her computer. What a pain in the ass." He left Dr. Kamiya standing in the hall and went out into the spring sunshine.

St. Kleio's campus was so sprawling and well-planned that it was almost a city unto itself. Most boarding schools were self-contained to a degree, but this one was even more so, to the point where it was surrounded by an enormous wall that was watched by several armed guards at all times. The students were used to it, having spent their entire lives behind the wall, so Mozart paid it no mind as he strode across the campus from the hospital wing to the girls' dorm.

The boys' and girls' dorms were separated by a wide lawn, on which a number of students were lounging and enjoying the afternoon. It was quite a pretty day, with just the right blend of sunshine and a breeze that lifted strands of his shining blonde hair as he walked. A couple of girls followed his progress with interest but he paid as much attention to them as he had the wall and guards. Without a moment's hesitation, he walked up the steps to the dorm and through the door to a hallway the male students were strictly forbidden to enter.

"Mozart, what _do _you think you're doing?" Elizabeth stepped out in front of him with her hands on her hips and he shrugged indifferently at her.

"Mary Shelley is in the hospital wing again and Dr. Kamiya asked me to gather her things, as he plans to keep her a few days. She would throw a tantrum that I have no patience for today if she found out I let someone else go through her room."

"Still, you can't just walk in here!"

"And yet, here I am." He pushed past Elizabeth, who hurried after him. "You're still here?"

"I'm going to go tell the dorm director you're in here," she threatened, a scowl on her round face. Mozart shrugged again and went up the stairs to the second floor, where he knew Mary's room was located. Elizabeth was behind him the entire way, lecturing him about the impropriety of his actions in a voice that made his head throb. There was no one else in the dorm and he opened the door to her room, then slammed it shut behind him while Elizabeth was still talking.

With the exception of her desk, which was piled with books and papers, Mary's room was neat and organized. Two of the four walls were occupied with bookshelves that were filled to bursting and Mozart reached up to the top of one where a number of thin notebooks were piled. He took the bottommost one and tossed it on her desk, then dug out her tiny laptop computer and a rucksack, which he stuffed with textbooks, empty notebooks, the computer and several pairs of underwear and socks. Mary would be properly horrified that he'd packed them, which was reward enough for doing it, especially when he told her he'd found her photo album in the drawer.

On his way out the door, the bear Ikkyu had tossed to her caught Mozart's eye and he grabbed it from the bed. She'd be happy to have it, and the happier she was the less time he would have to spend reassuring her that he didn't mind running all over the campus and taking time from his work to collect her things.

_Really, that girl is so much trouble._

"How do you feel now, Mary?"

"Better, I suppose." She looked out the window as Dr. Kamiya took her pulse. It was a pretty day, the sort she would have forced Mozart to go outside and enjoy. From where she was sitting she could see other students eating their lunches on the lawn and laughing, making Mary jealous. "Can I go back to my dorm now?"

"Of course not," Dr. Kamiya said, as sternly as was possible for him. "You had another of your episodes and I'm still not pleased with your vitals, so you'll be here for at least the night." He thought about it for a moment, then looked back at her. "Probably two."

"Wonderful," she said sarcastically.

"Mozart went to get your things from your dorm so you'll be properly set up for the time you're here. Don't worry about your schoolwork, you can just focus on your writing." He turned away from her and inspected the long roll of paper that had come out of the ECG machine. "One of the nurses will bring your lunch in a little while."

The door to her room opened again and Mozart came inside with her bag in his hand. He dropped it onto her bed between her legs and raised an eyebrow. "I hope that will be enough for you, I wasn't sure how long you're going to be here."

"Thanks," Mary said, and leaned forward to pull it to her. Dr. Kamiya left without a word and Mozart stood by the nightstand looking put out. "You got my computer and my notebook," she said. "What about my galley?"

"In the bottom." He smirked. "With your underwear."

"I hate you," she replied offhandedly. Her hand found the little bear among her things and she picked it up with a smile. "Forget I said that. You're the best."

After Mozart finally left, complaining that he'd wasted enough time hanging around the hospital wing, Mary took out her computer and opened it to start typing up the writing she'd done while she was in class.

"Hello, Mary!"

The voice from the doorway startled her out of her work and she looked up to find that the sun was setting over St. Kleio and three girls had arrived. "Oh," she said, setting aside her computer. "Hello Susan, Amelia, Helen."

"You poor thing, having to stay in here overnight," said Susan B. Anthony with a sigh. "But we thought we'd bring our meeting to you since you wouldn't be able to come to us." She sat on the edge of Mary's bed while Amelia leaned on the nightstand and Helen sat in the chair by the wall.

Helen Keller was, like Mary herself, an interesting case. While Mary was one of the only clones who had a chronic health problem, Helen was the only clone who was completely out of sync with her original's identity. Since she had not contracted the same scarlet fever that left her original blind and deaf, Clone Helen Keller was sighted, hearing and extremely sarcastic. As Mary understood it from things she overheard in the hospital wing, Helen was an attempt to see what sort of things she could have done had she not possessed her famed disabilities. Since her original had been accomplished in many ways in spite of them, the hopes the teachers at St. Kleio had for her were extremely high.

"I appreciate it," Mary said, feeling a little like she was trapped. "What sort of things does your group talk about?"

"Current womens' issues, politics, that sort of thing," Susan said. "All of our originals were political activists or social pioneers, and some of them – like yours – hung around with political writers and thinkers. We don't have that luxury, so we thought we'd get together and share our views in an attempt to simulate that environment."

"Oh," Mary said. "That's a good idea."

"Yes, we thought so," Helen said with a bit of a smirk that reminded Mary of Mozart. "There's no point in our trying to change society once we've graduated if the only politics we know are the ones inside St. Kleio." She handed Mary a small stack of papers from her bag. "Here you are. These are the topics we'll be discussing this week, along with some articles."

"Thank you," Mary said. "It looks quite thorough."

"Oh, that's cute," Amelia said suddenly, picking up the bear from Mary's nightstand. "It's so tiny! Where'd you get it?"  
>"Hitler made it," Mary said. For some reason she felt as if telling them she'd gotten it from Ikkyu was a detail she should leave out. It was bad enough being teased by Mozart.<p>

"And he gave it to you? That was sweet." Amelia turned it over. "You know, I used to think he was kind of creepy but he really is nothing like his original."

"Back to the issue at hand," Helen said irritably. "Or should I say issue_s_. What are your thoughts on this law they've passed in America?" She flipped through the pages and Mary did the same, scanning it as she did so she could give an opinion.

The meeting continued in this way for about an hour, with Helen telling them which pages to read and Susan guiding the conversation. For her part, Mary thought it was an interesting idea for a group and thought she might be convinced into looking forward to it a couple of times a week. At the very end, Helen removed a notebook from her bag.

"All right," she said. "If you have any ideas for our next meeting, please let me know as soon as possible so we can look up some background material. I'd also like to go ahead and vote on offices now that we have four ladies. I've made the nominations based on our strengths, all we have to do is say yes or no and whether we accept. Susan, you should be president, naturally."

"Agreed," said the girls, and Susan shrugged.

"If you say so. I'd be happy to."

"Good. Now, vice president. I think Amelia would be best for that." Once again the girls were in agreement and Amelia accepted. "Since you have your own computer and can type quickly, I think you should be secretary, Mary. You can type up our meeting notes and agendas."

"Sure," Mary said. "I don't mind at all."

"And last is researcher. Normally a group would have a treasurer, but as St. Kleio provides all the funds we need, it's unnecessary. Instead, we'll have someone who looks up the articles and helps moderate our discussions. Me," she said, gesturing to herself.

"Sounds fine to me," Amelia said, and the others nodded.

"Excellent," Helen said, putting away her notebook. "Then I suppose this concludes our meeting for today. Mary, type up whatever notes you remember or wrote down for today and we'll pass them around and vote on them at our next meeting on Wednesday evening. If you're still here in the hospital, can we meet here again?"

"If Dr. Kamiya doesn't mind, sure. But I should be back in the dorm by then."

"Then we can have it in the dorm." She stood up and the other two followed her. Mary wondered if Helen hadn't been a better choice for president but Susan didn't seem to have a problem with it. "Have a good evening, Mary."

"Thank you." Mary watched them leave and settled back into her bed. In the hallway, she heard the voice of their school auditor, Kuroe talking to the girls.

"Hi, girls," he said. "Visiting?"

"Yes, Mr. Kuroe," they chorused cheerfully and Mary laughed. Most of the girls thought he was cute, and she supposed she had to agree. She'd known him longer than them, though, so she tended to think of him like another big brother or an uncle. When he bid farewell to the trio, he came into Mary's room with a smile.

"So you're back here, huh?" Kuroe was easily taller than any of the boys, even Ikkyu, and had black hair that was a little unruly in spite of his efforts to keep it in line. Mary wasn't sure how old he was but his face didn't betray any clear age and she was only certain that he was at least twenty years older than her since he had been helping to look after her since she was a child.

"Unfortunately." She leaned back against the wall. "And I'm stuck here for a couple of days."

"That's a shame." Kuroe tossed a small bag onto her nightstand. "Here. Something to eat while you're bored." Mary picked it up and smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Kuroe." It was her favorite dried fruit and she wished he would sit down so she could hug him. In addition to being attractive, he was also popular among the students for being stern but easy to talk to about their problems.

"It's no problem. I just want to make it easier on you to be here." He put a hand on her head. "Hopefully we'll figure out a way to keep you out of here for a while." Dr. Kamiya came into the room with a clipboard at that moment and Kuroe looked over his shoulder. "I guess I should leave you be. If you need anything, be sure to let me know."

"Thank you," Mary said. Kuroe gave a small nod to Dr. Kamiya, then went back into the hallway. She could hear his well-polished shoes clicking on the tile and smiled at the sound. He was also a very snappy dresser.

Dr. Kamiya sat down beside her bed to examine her IV and write down her vitals in silence, leaving Mary to consider and lament everything that had happened. The best thing she could say for any of it was that she had managed to stay on her feet until no one was around but Mozart and that she hadn't displayed her underwear to anyone this time.

Across campus in his room, Mozart played a rather moody piece on his private piano and thought that he'd visit Mary again in the morning before class. The last thing he needed was her overtaxing herself and causing him to have to change his plans for the Sunday performance at the last second. _Can't she think of other people for two seconds_?


	3. The Girl, Secluded

_D sharp. No, that's not right. I have to resolve it to a B minor chord, that's exactly the wrong thing. But that will make it too atonal, and it will clash with the third and fourth hands anyway. I need to finish the first piece before I start writing the second._ Mozart stared at the blank page of staff paper in front of him. No matter how he arranged them, the notes weren't making sense and it was driving him crazy. He rubbed the bridge of his nose hard enough to send pain into his sinuses. _Maybe I should just skip my next class and go to my room to work on this._

"Hey, Mozart."

Ikkyu's voice broke into Mozart's thoughts and he looked up irritably, crossing out the line of music he had been working on. Napoleon and Florence were standing by their desks near the front of the room and Ikkyu was sitting on his. "Yes?"

"I was just wondering," he said, pointing at Mary's desk curiously, "Where's Mary Shelley? She looked like she was sick yesterday when she left class."

"She isn't well," Mozart said, standing up and gathering his music. It was useless to try and concentrate on it when he had all these other distractions. "I took her to the hospital wing to see Dr. Kamiya and she's still there." He strode past their small group and Ikkyu hopped off the desk and followed him into the hall.

"Hey," he said again, trotting after him. "The hospital? What's wrong with her?"

"I told you, she's not well," Mozart said, not bothering to hide his impatience. Ikkyu seemed not to hear it, shrugging as he gave the musician a questioning look.

"Well, yeah. But what's wrong with her? Is she gonna be okay?"

The question, simple though it was, made something snap in Mozart's mind. Teeth clenched, he turned on his heel and took several steps toward Ikkyu, who backed up immediately when he saw the look on Mozart's face.

"What are your feelings toward Mary Shelley?" Mozart's eyes were narrowed dangerously as he stood face to face with Ikkyu, and the latter looked back at his friends for support. They couldn't hear what he was talking about but he knew they'd come help him if things got violent. Mozart didn't have the best reputation for stability, after all. Napoleon in particular looked as if he was about five seconds from coming down the hall to separate them.

"M-Mary Shelley?" Ikkyu held up his hands and shook his head. "I hardly know her."

"I see. Then perhaps you should make an attempt." He glanced up and down Ikkyu, then turned on his heel and stalked away. "She's in the hospital wing. You should go see her. It would make her feel better, I'm sure," he said over his shoulder.

Ikkyu stood in the middle of the hall, looking confused. Napoleon dropped a hand on his shoulder and he looked back at him.

"What was that all about?"

"I'm not really sure," Ikkyu said, pushing his glasses up slightly on his nose. "But that guy kind of freaks me out. He always looks like he's about to punch you or something."

"I know what you mean. Come on, let's get to class."

"Yeah." Ikkyu nodded and went with Napoleon toward their next class, looking over his shoulder at Mozart's departing back as he did.

He continued to think about what Mozart had said during Literature, which he only halfway had to pay attention to. Instead, he let his mind wander to various things that came back to Mary when he saw her empty desk. She really had looked sick when she left class. For a minute he'd thought she was going to fall down in the doorway, and when Mozart had taken her away he'd pretty much been holding her upright. The memory of helping her up in the stairwell drifted back into his mind and he sighed. He'd put it off to her being clumsy that time, but now that he thought about it she could have been sick then too. Ikkyu tried to remember if she'd said anything that made him think she wasn't feeling well, then felt his face turning red when the memory of how her skirt had flipped up hit.

_Maybe I _will_ go see her_, he thought, then blushed deeper when he realized he'd thought it right after he remembered seeing her panties. _Aw, man, that totally wasn't what I meant. I'm going to go see her because she's probably bored, not because I want to see her butt again._ Being a teenage boy, the prospect of seeing a cute girl's backside was definitely appealing but he didn't want that thought in his head when he went to the hospital wing.

"Are you okay, dude?" Napoleon leaned over, raising an eyebrow. "You look kinda flushed."

"Huh?" Ikkyu shook the thoughts out of his head before they could veer into dangerous territory. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just, uh, was-" He tried desperately to think of something that sounded plausible and Napoleon added a smirk to his expression. "Maybe I'm coming down with something."

"You should go see Dr. Kamiya and get some cold medicine," Napoleon advised. "The last thing you need is another excuse to get out of class."

"Yeah," Ikkyu said. "I'll go after class."

After he'd made the decision to go to the hospital wing, Literature dragged on even longer than usual. Rather than listening to the teacher, however, he wrote Japanese characters in his notebook one after the other for practice. He had been advised numerous times by his tutor that he would likely be going to some sort of monastery or Buddhist school in Japan after he left St. Kleio, so even though the clones' first language was English, a part of his curriculum had always been learning Japanese. His original, Ikkyu Sojun, had been a rather eccentric Rinzai Buddhist philosopher who was considered something of a Japanese treasure. It wouldn't do for him to be unable to speak the language fluently, and though he had long since moved into the more difficult Kanji and idioms, the characters he was supposed to be practicing had a ridiculous number of strokes to get right.

Unlike his original, Ikkyu's attention span was somewhat lacking and it wasn't long before he started writing other things. The man who gave him his Buddhist instruction had set him a koan that had given him a headache every time he worked on it, and he gave it a few minutes of his attention, scribbling characters around it that he hoped would help. He leaned his head on his hand and frowned at the paper.

_I'm never going to figure this out_, he thought. His tutor said he shouldn't worry about it, that it took Rinzai scholars years to work out an answer to some of the koans, and that even if there _was_ an accepted answer it could easily take on a different meaning with a different mind working on it. With that in mind, his thoughts weren't frustrated or defeated, they simply _were_. Most of the other students thought of him as easygoing or laid it off on being as eccentric as his original but in reality Ikkyu was just not as bothered by most things as other people. He'd been taught the tenets of Buddhism since he was old enough to read, and now that he'd reached his late teens they were as natural to him as breathing. Things came and went, and he accepted them. It was simply a part of his nature.

Just when he thought he was making some headway with the koan, the teacher called an end to class and he sighed. _Oh well._ He put away his notebook and got up, yawned, then walked with Napoleon, Shiro and Freud to the lounge where they usually played pool.

"Sorry, guys, I'm gonna head over to the hospital wing."

"Still not feeling good?" Napoleon shook his head. "You better get that taken care of before it gets really bad."

"Yeah," piped up Shiro. "It would really be bad to get sick right before the weekend."

"We'll see you when you get back," Napoleon said. "I've been looking forward to playing pool with Shiro for a change."

"Okay." With a wave, he continued down the hall and left the building, walking against the grain of the rest of the students who were going inside for their break and for an early lunch.

It was just as pretty outside as it had been the day before and Ikkyu looked around the campus, thinking that it would be a nice day to sit outside and meditate instead of having his formal lesson after Science. He was fairly certain his tutor would approve and resolved to ask about it as soon as possible.

The hospital wing was almost the size of one of the dorms, which made it a little unsettling to walk into after crossing the campus. There was a waiting room in the front lobby, and two or three exam rooms just behind a door that wasn't locked. Whoever was supposed to be manning the front desk was gone so he walked through it and looked in the exam rooms. They were filled with the customary medical equipment for a quick examination, but he didn't see Dr. Kamiya or the nurses anywhere. Another small door led back through into a hallway and he walked down it with his hands in his pockets, wondering where everyone was.

Each of the rooms on either side of the hall had a bed with machines around the sides, and the ones on the far side of the room had windows that looked over the lawn and toward the main buildings. He was just about to stick his head in one when Dr. Kamiya stepped out with a clipboard in his hand.

"Oh," he said disinterestedly. "Ikkyu. Is something the matter?"

"No, I'm fine. I just came to visit Mary Shelley."

"Oh," Dr. Kamiya said. "She's down at the end of the hall in her usual room, resting. I didn't know you two were friends."

"Sure. Well, sorta." _Not exactly_, he thought._ I mean, she waved at me during gym and I gave her Hitler's teddy bear. I'm not sure that counts as friendship_. "Is she okay?"

"She's feeling a bit better now, but I'm going to keep her overnight to make sure. Mary Shelley has a tendency to push herself too hard. I think she gets it from Mozart." Dr. Kamiya shook his head, then looked back down at his clipboard. "Don't let her keep you all afternoon. She does that when she gets bored here." Ikkyu nodded and went to the last room on the right, whose door was slightly ajar. This time he knocked and stood outside waiting for an answer.

"Come in," said a pleasant, somewhat distracted voice that he recognized from class.

When he stepped into the room, Mary was sitting up in bed reading a book. He was taken aback for a second because she looked different with her long dark hair loose around her shoulders rather than tied back in a braid as usual. She had a tired but calm look on her face, which changed to one of slight confusion when he raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey there."

"Oh!" Mary nearly dropped her book in surprise. "H-hi. What are you-" She stopped herself and shook her head. "Sorry. I don't usually get visitors other than Amadeus or Mr. Kuroe."

"Really?" Ikkyu looked around the room and the little bear on her nightstand caught his eye. Before he could stop himself, he smiled and she followed his gaze to the nightstand. Blushing deeply, she pulled her water pitcher in front of it and cleared her throat.

"Th-thank you for coming by," Mary said. "It's nice of you."

"Mind if I sit down?" Mary shook her head and Ikkyu pulled a chair over from the wall so he was close to her bed. She slipped a piece of paper between the pages of her book, then set it aside on the sheets. It was somewhat surprising to him how different the hospital outfit looked on her. It was the same greenish wrap-around top as they all wore during their physical examinations, but he had never considered that the girls wore it too. Oddly enough, the sleeveless top with its deep, slanted neckline looked close to fashionable against her light skin. "Could I bother you to hand me my sweater?" Mary pointed at the gray cardigan that was draped over the back of the chair and Ikkyu reached back and pulled it out from under himself.

"Sorry," he said, both for sitting on her sweater and looking at her long enough to make her uncomfortable. Mary shook her head.

"It's all right. I get cold easily." She put it on slowly, seemingly intent on her bedsheets. There was a long, somewhat awkward silence before she looked up at him with a smile. "So, um, have I missed anything good in class?"

"Not really. The only class we did anything interesting in was Literature and you probably don't need to study too hard for that." Ikkyu wasn't sure what else to say. He really didn't know anything about her other than what her original was known for and that she hung around with Mozart all the time. A flash of inspiration hit him and he grinned. "Thanks for cheering for me during gym," he said. "It was nice of you."

"You're welcome," she replied. "You, um, you were doing really well. You run faster than any of the other guys."

"Eh, it's just because I'm tall," Ikkyu said with a shrug. "If I was as tiny as you, I'd probably be at the back of the pack." Mary blinked at him and he cleared his throat. This seemed to be going badly. "Sorry. I didn't mean that you're slow or anything. I mean, you could be. I've never seen you run."

"I'm not allowed to run," Mary said. "I'm not allowed to do a lot of things."

Another silence grew between them, this one longer than the first because he didn't have anything else to say. He supposed he could have said something about the bear but she had seemed embarrassed when he came in and saw it so he didn't want to call attention to it. Though why she should be embarrassed was beyond him. It was a cute thing, the sort of toy a girl would carry around. It was Mary who finally broke the tension with a heavy sigh.

"Amadeus put you up to this, didn't he?" Mary's voice was quiet and Ikkyu looked at her, his cheeks coloring slightly. "It's all right, I had a feeling he was going to do something like it." She turned toward the window. "He doesn't care how far he goes as long as he makes his point."

"It's not like that," Ikkyu said quickly, not wanting her feelings to be hurt. When she looked back at him, though, he wasn't able to lie to her face. "I mean, he did tell me to come visit you but I think he, uh, he must have had a good reason."

"Yeah, he likes to embarrass me." Mary pulled her knees up to her chin and laid her head on them. "This must be what it's like for regular people to have brothers," she said flatly. "Thank you for coming to see me. But you don't have to hang around."

"No, it's okay." Ikkyu moved his chair a little closer. "It's nice talking to you. To be honest, I don't get to talk with many people outside our little group," he said with a shrug. "A lot of people think I'm just that weird monk, so they don't want to hang out like Napoleon and the others do."

"I understand. I don't see much of anyone other than Amadeus, and he likes being alone." She leaned back in bed and put her head against the wall, and Ikkyu noticed that she wasn't meeting his eyes. "It's always been that way, though. I spend so much time over here in the hospital that no one even knows my name."

"Except publishers," grinned Ikkyu. "I heard that one picked up the book you presented at last year's Expo."

"You did?" This finally made her look at him again, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah. You weren't there that day but they made an announcement in our Literature class about how you're following in your original's footsteps by creating a compelling story with social commentary." He folded his arms across his chest and nodded seriously. "It's kind of a shame it's not coming out for another nine months, it sounds pretty cool."

"Y-you want to read it?"

"Sure. I read your original's books and they were great. I heard from your teacher that yours are even better because they're more accessible. Everybody knows about _Frankenstein_, but not many people have read _The Last Man_ or _Valperga._

"You really have read a lot of my original's work," she said, impressed.

"They're good. I guess I liked them because they have a lot of questioning existence, you know? The reason we're here and the way people see one another."

Mary was surprised by this. It sounded like something their teacher would say to the class but hearing Ikkyu say it and remember when the announcement about her book being published had been made gave her a jolt of warmth that spread from her stomach to the rest of her body. "Um," she said nervously. "I have one of my galleys with me." She leaned off the side of her bed and fished a book with a plain brown cover from her bag. "The publisher just sent it to me for final review. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them."

"You want me to read it?" Ikkyu's eyes widened as he took the book from her. "Are you sure? It's not even really published yet."

"I'd like it if you'd read it," Mary said nervously. "I-If you want to, I mean. Just return it to me whenever you're done."

"Sure! Thanks!" Ikkyu looked down at the galley, then back up at her. "This is really cool, Mary. I'm a pretty fast reader, I'll give it back to you as soon as possible."

"Take your time," she said. The smile on his face made her happy enough that he could have kept her book for the rest of the year and she wouldn't have minded. "I hope you enjoy it, I worked hard on it." A nurse appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair and Mary smiled. "Looks like my escort has arrived. Thrill of my life."

"Yeah, I should get to class," Ikkyu said. He held up the book. "I'll bring this back to you when I finish, okay?"

"Okay." He got up while Mary got out of bed, stepping into the slippers that were waiting. She got two steps toward the door, then sank into the chair he had just abandoned weakly.

"Mary Shelley," the nurse said with a sigh. "You're supposed to let me help you. Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because I can walk across the room by myself," she said, her hand still over her face, hoping Ikkyu had already left. "This is so stupid."

"It's okay, I'll help you." With the same care he'd taken when he helped her off the floor at the foot of the stairs, Ikkyu took her hand and helped her out of the chair, then put an arm around her waist and helped her into the wheelchair. He was warm and Mary pressed herself against him for the few moments it took for him to get her settled, thinking it could be the only time she was ever this close to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said quietly, too embarrassed to look at him. "Thank you."

"No problem." Ikkyu held up the book again and smiled. "Thanks again for this. I promise I won't take too long." He stepped around the nurse and disappeared into the hall, leaving Mary to be taken in the opposite direction to a room with several large imaging machines around a table.

"We're just going to take a few scans," the nurse said, turning on the ultrasound machine so it could warm up. "Dr. Kamiya wants to see exactly what's going on in there before we proceed with any treatments. How are you feeling now?"

"Idiotic. Embarrassed."

"Good. Strong emotions will give us a good idea of what happens when you exert yourself." She knelt down and plugged in the printer, and Mary sighed deeply.

_I should have known better than to expect sympathy from her_, she thought, watching the nurse. _The doctors and nurses here don't see us clones as anything more than test subjects._ She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Ikkyu's arm around her again. _So warm. And it was like I fit perfectly. Why do I have to be stuck in here?_

Later that evening, Ikkyu sat in his room with his feet propped up on the desk. His homework and the texts he was supposed to be studying lay forgotten on the corner of it in favor of more interesting subject matter. An uncharacteristically serious look was on his face as he turned the page of the book in his hand, and when Napoleon came into his room he barely looked up.

"Feeling better?"

"Much. Thanks."

"What are you reading?" Napoleon looked over Ikkyu's shoulder at the galley and he leaned back to look at his friend.

"Mary Shelley's book," he said, holding the book up so Napoleon could see it. "It's the one that's going to be published soon. She let me borrow it."

"Oh, that's nice of her," Napoleon leaned on his desk casually. He was one of those effortlessly handsome boys who made everything look good, and the untucked black shirt he wore over his jeans was no exception. When did you see her?"

"She was in the hospital when I was there," Ikkyu said with a shrug. For some reason he didn't feel like telling Napoleon that he'd gone there to visit Mary. They were best friends, it wasn't as if he was trying to hide it from him, it was more that he didn't want Napoleon to give him a look of pity when he said that Mozart had told him to go.

"Yeah, she's missed a couple of days now. It was cool of you to visit her," Napoleon said. "I bet it gets pretty boring sitting there by herself. How's she feeling?"

"She said she felt better but she looked pretty weak. I thought she was going to pass out on the way to the door." He remembered the way she'd leaned into him and shook his head. "I think she's kind of frustrated."

"I can imagine." Napoleon sighed. "She's always absent. What's wrong with her, anyway?"

"It's her heart," said a third voice, and both Ikkyu and Napoleon looked up to see Mozart leaning on the door frame, his arms folded across his chest. "There's some sort of defect in it, I don't know the medical specifics. It doesn't beat normally so she gets dizzy and passes out. She takes medication for it, but I suppose it's stopped working."

"Really?" Napoleon raised his eyebrows. It was unusual for Mozart to interact with any of the other clones. "That's kind of weird, isn't it? I mean, the rest of us are pretty healthy. Aren't they supposed to check out our genetics to make sure we don't have problems like that?"

"Probably. I don't concern myself with things like that. But Mary's been like that from the beginning. They probably have some reason for it." He shrugged and looked at Ikkyu. "I'm sure she appreciated your visiting her. Let's not mention my part in it, shall we?"

"Too late," Ikkyu said, tilting his head so far back that Mozart was upside down and his glasses slid down his nose. "She already knew."

"Damn that girl," Mozart scowled. "She's too smart for her own good." He shoved himself off the wall and disappeared, looking put out. Napoleon shook his head, then turned slowly toward Ikkyu with a knowing smirk.

"Weren't feeling well, huh?"

"Mozart was acting weird earlier," Ikkyu said, his cheeks turning red. "He said something about me going to visit her and I was afraid he'd flip if she said I didn't go." Napoleon continued to smirk and Ikkyu adjusted his glasses. "I barely even know her!"

"Doesn't matter," he said. "You don't have to know her to think she's cute. Weren't you saying it was cool having a cute girl cheering you on?"

"Shut up."

"Awww, how sweet! You've got a crush on her!"

"Shut _up!_"

"Who has a crush on someone?" Freud came through the door smirking and Napoleon burst into laughter, making Ikkyu want to crawl under his bed. "If you were intending to keep it a secret, you shouldn't have been shouting it loud enough to hear it down the hall."

"I'm trying to read here," Ikkyu said loudly, wishing they would both just go away.

"Yeah, Mary Shelley's book," Napoleon snorted, making Freud's smirk deepened. "It's not like you're doing homework." He smacked Ikkyu's feet off the desk. "Come on, let's go get dinner."

"You guys are jerks," muttered Ikkyu, sticking a bookmark between the pages and wondering how it was that Napoleon managed to remember every embarrassing thing that ever happened to him.


	4. You and I Know

"Well, it isn't _good _news," said Dr. Kamiya, looking at the images from the day before. "But it is something." He pointed at a red and blue area on the screen. "The medication is supposed to be keeping your heart beating properly so it can push blood to your organs but for whatever reason, it's stopped doing that."

"Oh." Mary blinked at the screen. "Okay. So what do I do?"

"I'm speaking with the lab about working on a long-term solution but for the moment we can use a simple stopgap measure to regulate your heart's rhythm." He took something out of the pocket of his lab coat and handed it to her.

"What's this?" It was about the size of a golf ball, but flat, and surprisingly light in her hand. Mary turned it over. "Some sort of computer chip?"

"It's a pacemaker," Dr. Kamiya said. "Wires are attached to the side, which run up your vein and into your heart. Small electric signals make it beat in the proper rhythm." He seemed to sense her question before she asked it and smiled. "It's a very simple surgery. Takes about an hour and a half, and you'll be back on your feet again in no time."

"And this will fix me?"

"For now. But I think there's a better solution. It'll just take a little time." Dr. Kamiya plucked the pacemaker from her hand. "You haven't eaten since dinner last night, so we can start the procedure immediately. The nurse will be in for you in just a little while."

"Now?" Mary sat up in alarm.

"Why not? Like I said, it's a very simple procedure." He smiled at Mary calmly. "The sooner we get it taken care of, the sooner you can get back to class. You might even be able to participate in some sports for a change." Seeing the worried look on her face, he shook his head. "Don't worry so much, Mary. You'll do fine." With that, he left and Mary fell back against the pillows.

It was true, she did want to get back to her classes and the thought of actually being able to be in gym with the other girls was appealing, but she wished she'd had some time to get used to the idea of surgery first. _What if I die? I won't have been able to say goodbye to Amadeus or find out what Ikkyu thought of my book,_ she thought sadly, reaching over to take the bear from the nightstand again. She moved its arms back and forth, wishing she'd had just a few minutes to talk to them. Ikkyu's grinning face was at the front of her mind and she smiled. If she died just when she was finally able to talk to him, it would truly be ironic. The door slid open again and a nurse in a white uniform came in with another wheelchair.

"All right, Mary, let's go."

"Okay," Mary said, sliding out of bed. She wished Ikkyu was here to help her into the wheelchair again. The nurse pushed her out of the room and she sighed deeply as she looked over her shoulder at the window. It looked like it was going to rain and Mary turned back to the front so she could watch the door at the end of the hall come closer. She tried to remain calm.

_I'll see them again this evening,_ she thought, reassuring herself. _Amadeus, at least. I'm sure he'll come by to make sure I'm still alive so he won't have to cancel his performance this weekend. And he'll be glad he doesn't have to watch me like a hawk anymore. At least I hope he won't_.

Mozart yawned and stretched his arms over his head, then looked at Mary with an impatient eye. She'd woken up for a few minutes an hour or two earlier and been pleased to see him, then dozed back off. The only sound in the room was the machines around her beeping softly as they showed the inner workings of her body as a series of peaks and dips. They were as regular as a metronome, which was a great relief to him. Still, he wanted something to eat and needed to get back to his work.

"Sorry, Mary," he said, getting up from his chair. "I can't just sit here all night." Mozart paused to move the flowers in the vase on her nightstand around into a more pleasant arrangement, then looked at her one last time and left.

On his way down the hall, he saw the door open and a tall, dark-haired boy in a t-shirt, jeans and an unzipped hooded sweatshirt stepped in. Ikkyu was a direct contrast to Mozart in his pressed slacks and leather boots, and the latter looked at the former dispassionately.

"Hey," Ikkyu said with a smile. "You visiting Mary too?"

"In a manner of speaking. You may be able to get more of a response." Mozart waved over his shoulder and disappeared through the door.

If Ikkyu was affected at all by Mozart's attitude, he didn't show it. Instead, he continued down the hall to Mary's room. He was stopped again with his hand on the door, this time by Dr. Kamiya coming out of one of the diagnostic rooms.

"Oh, Ikkyu," Dr. Kamiya said in surprise. "What are you doing here again?"

"I came to visit Mary Shelley," he replied, holding up the galley that was under his arm. "I wanted to give her back the book she let me borrow."

"Oh. I'm sorry, she's resting right now. She had surgery this afternoon and seems to be recovering somewhat slowly," Dr. Kamiya nodded at the door. "Mozart was keeping an eye on her, he may still be in there."

"Surgery?" Ikkyu looked at the closed door of her room in alarm. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Everything went well and she should be back in class by Monday." He patted Ikkyu on the shoulder with an absent smile. "We'll just let her get some rest and finish recovering. I'm sure she'll be glad you stopped by." He pointed at the galley. "Is that for schoolwork? You can leave the book for her if you like."

"No thanks, Dr. Kamiya. I'd like to give it to her in person," Ikkyu said with a smile. "I want to tell her what I thought."

"All right. She should be up to having visitors tomorrow morning."

"Great. I'll come back then." He started back down the hall, then frowned and turned around. "Wait, I thought you said Mozart was with her before."

"Mozart is a special case," Dr. Kamiya said. "If you want to come during class in the morning, however, I'll give you permission."

"Sure, that'd be great!" Ikkyu's frown evaporated in an instant and he gave Dr. Kamiya a thumbs-up as he went back down the hall.

It was still drizzling outside and he pulled his hood up over his head as he jogged back to the dorm after tucking Mary's book protectively inside his sweatshirt. He looked back at the hospital wing, where her room was the only one with a light on. He wished he'd asked more questions, like what she'd had surgery for and why Mozart got to stick around.

Back in his room, he leaned his head on his hand and stared at her book. The homework sitting in front of him was forgotten and he twirled his pen between his fingers. She had been so excited and nervous when she gave it to him, it had been cute. Ikkyu supposed it had to be difficult to be a clone whose original was known for great works of art or literature, always being compared to one another, worried that people weren't going to like your work or would say it wasn't as good as the real thing.

In his opinion, Clone Mary Shelley was far superior to her original, though from what he'd seen in the book on English authors they did share the same calm, mysterious smile. He thought of her face and the way she had smiled at him when he was running, then how her smile had faltered and died when she knew Mozart had suggested he visit her. Closing his textbook, Ikkyu shoved his chair back from the desk and went down the hall to Mozart's room. After a pause, the door opened and the haughty face framed by blonde hair appeared.

"Oh. It's you. Do you need something?"

"Uh," Ikkyu said, thrown off a bit by his abrupt manner. "I wanted to ask you about Mary Shelley. Do you know why she had surgery?"

"Something about fixing her heart. I think Dr. Kamiya said he put in a pacemaker." He gave Ikkyu a scathing look. "Was that all you interrupted me for? You should have just asked the doctor." Mozart was about to close the door again when Ikkyu put his hand on the frame.

"No, wait," he said. Mozart turned back to him, his eyebrow arched so far it nearly reached his hair. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but was there some reason you wanted me to go over and see her in the first place?"

"Good Lord, are you really that dense?" Mozart shook his head incredulously. "How pathetic. I really don't know what she sees in you." He shut the door firmly in Ikkyu's face before he could say anything else, leaving him standing in the hall.

"What was that about?"

"Huh?" Ikkyu turned to find a slight figure with very light hair tucked behind his ears standing just behind him. "Oh, Freud. It's nothing, I was just talking to Mozart." He looked back at the door. "Trying to talk to Mozart."

"It can't be helped," sighed Freud. "He's difficult to engage at the best of times. Was there something you needed help with?"

"Not really," Ikkyu said with a shrug. They walked back down the hall to his room and Freud sat on the bed. "I just had a question for him about...something," he finished lamely. The knowing smirk Freud gave him was enough to give him a headache, he couldn't imagine what the famous psychiatrist's clone would have said if he'd told him he was asking about Mary.

"About Mary Shelley?"

"What?" His cheeks bright red, Ikkyu spun around to look at Freud. _Did he read my mind or something?_ "W-what makes you say that?"

"You and Mozart have nothing in common," Freud said. "Not a single thing. The only possible things you could have been discussing were class, which is unlikely, and his single companion." He smirked. "And with Napoleon teasing you about having a crush on someone, the latter seemed to be the most likely option. Was that what he was talking to you about in the hallway the other day?"

"Please don't tell Napoleon," mumbled Ikkyu, pushing his glasses up further on his face. "He'll never let me hear the end of it if he knows Mozart sent me over there."

"Napoleon is smart enough to figure it out for himself," Freud said, shrugging. "But if you prefer, I won't point him in the right direction." He gave Ikkyu a pointed look. "There's no shame in liking someone. It's far more a part of your identity to develop an interest in a girl, both as a teenager and the clone of Ikkyu Sojun."

"It's not that," Ikkyu said, his face still red. "I just-"

"Yo, guys." Napoleon and Shiro came into the room together. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Ikkyu said hurriedly.

"Nothing at all," echoed Freud. "We were simply discussing the unfairness of being assigned two long papers at the same time. My suggestion was that we share the research duties among the four of us, then use the information to write our individual papers."

"That's a pretty good idea," Napoleon said, nodding. "So long as you're not going to try copying mine," he added, giving Shiro a nudge.

"Hey! I wasn't going to copy," Shiro said indignantly. "I can write my own paper!"

"You two were so serious in here," Napoleon said, ignoring him. "For a minute I thought you were talking about Ikkyu's girlfriend."

"Let it go already," Ikkyu said, turning to look in his closet.

"Ikkyu has a girlfriend?" Shiro's eyes widened and he looked from Freud to Napoleon to Ikkyu. "Why didn't you guys tell me? Who is she? I bet she's cute!" He grinned brightly at them and both Freud and Napoleon began to laugh.

_At least there's one person around here who won't be able to figure it out_, thought Ikkyu, rubbing his forehead. "I don't have a girlfriend," he said to Shiro, and shut his closet door. "These guys are just being jerks. As usual."

"Oh," Shiro said, disappointed. "I wanted to meet her."

"Are you seriously that bummed out about it?" Ikkyu blinked at him, then shook his head with a sigh. "Oh, little Shiro." He put an arm around the boy and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be a man one day too."

"Hey!"

Several hours later, Ikkyu was finally alone in his bedroom again. The lights were out and he was lying in bed with his headphones on, staring out the window at the moon that was half-hidden by the departing storm clouds. It was somewhat blurry without his glasses and he sighed.

He really didn't know why he was so embarrassed to tell the others that he thought Mary was cute. It wasn't like Napoleon didn't joke with him about things on a regular basis, but this was different. It felt more serious, and he didn't want to be laughed at for something that made him feel alternately uncertain and happy. The bear on her nightstand popped into his head again and the way she had blushed when he saw it, and suddenly something clicked in his head. Ikkyu sat up so suddenly that his headphones were pulled out of the music player.

_Oh my god,_ he thought, burying his face in his hands. _Mozart was right. I really am dense._

"You look much better this morning," Kuroe said to Mary. "I can't remember the last time you looked so cheerful."

"Thank you, Mr. Kuroe. And thank you for visiting me again," she smiled knowingly. "Though I know you're only here to see Dr. Kamiya."

"What are you talking about?" With a sigh, Kuroe put a hand on the top of her head and ruffled her hair. "I think you're getting cabin fever in here." The door behind them opened and he looked over his shoulder to see Ikkyu step through the door with Dr. Kamiya. The younger of the two was holding a small bunch of flowers. "It looks like you have a guest," Kuroe said, standing up. "I'll let you visit with him." With one last smile, he departed the room with the white-haired doctor, leaving Ikkyu standing in the middle of the floor.

"Hi," he said, sounding more uncertain than he had at his last visit. "These are from Florence Nightingale," Ikkyu said, holding up some flowers. "She said they would cheer up your room and make you feel better." He walked stiffly over to her bed and held them out to her.

"Tell her thank you, they're beautiful." Mary smiled and smelled the bouquet. "Florence is always so thoughtful. I'll have a nurse find me another vase."

"I came by last night," Ikkyu said, pulling the chair away from the wall. "But Dr. Kamiya said you were still sleeping."

"You did?" Mary smiled at him and Ikkyu 's cheeks turned a little pink. "Thank you."

"It was nothing. Napoleon said it must be boring for you to sit in here alone all the time and I thought, you know, you might like some company. Besides," he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously, "I, uh, didn't want you to think the only reason I came to see you was because of Mozart."

"Oh," Mary said, blushing. "W-well I'm glad you came for any reason."

"I also wanted to bring this back to you." He handed her the galley. "Dr. Kamiya said I could leave it but I wanted to give it to you myself. To make sure nothing happened to it, you know?"

"You didn't have to do that," she said. "I didn't mean for you to rush."

"No, it was really good. I couldn't put it down." Ikkyu grinned. "You really do have a lot of talent, Mary. I bet you're gonna be way more famous than your original."

"Now I know you're exaggerating," she said, turning red to the tips of her ears. "It's really embarrassing compared to the one I'm working on right now."

"You're already working on another one?"

"Oh, yeah. I had a really good idea right away and I've been following my editor's advice from the first one." Ikkyu looked impressed and Mary rubbed her arm nervously. "Would-would you like to read what I have so far?"

"Really?" If she'd had any doubts about letting him read it, they disappeared when she saw the excited look on his face.

"Sure." Mary took her computer out of her bag and turned it on, then took a flash drive out of the front pocket. "It really is a lot better than my first one." She loaded the file onto the drive, then pulled it out and held it up. "It's not finished, though. Or edited," she said with dismay. "On second thought, maybe I should wait."

"No, I want to read it," Ikkyu said quickly. "Even if it's just a rough draft, I'm sure it will be great." Mary didn't think it was possible for her to get any redder but she was beginning to feel like her face was on fire. She held the flash drive out to him and when he took it from her, his fingertips brushed against hers. "It's really awesome of you to let me read your stuff," he said, smiling at her as he closed his fingers around the flash drive. "I promise I'll take good care of it."

"Your opinion means a lot to me," she replied, trying to keep herself from sounding as flustered as she felt. "If you want to print it out, you can. I don't mind."

"Jeez," he said, laughing. "You're making me feel like the emperor's son or something." Mary joined him in laughing while she shook her head. "No, seriously, this is really cool." He looked at the flash drive for a long moment, then back up at her. "Dr. Kamiya says you should be back in class on Monday. Do-do you think it would be okay if we ate lunch together sometime?"

"We?" Mary looked startled by this question and Ikkyu nodded stiffly. "You and I? S-sure!"

"Really?" He grinned at her, relieved, and she felt her stomach turn over. "Great! For a minute I thought you were going to tell me I was driving you crazy or something coming in here all the time when you're trying to get better." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and Mary bit her lip, then leaned forward and put her arms around his shoulders.

"Don't be silly," Mary said, hugging him as tightly as the IV in her arm would allow. For a moment he was stiff, as if he wasn't sure what to do, then put his arms around her gingerly. "I like seeing you. You really did make me feel better."

"I'm glad," he said, his voice quiet next to her ear. When she pulled away, his face was red again but his dark eyes were fixed on hers. "I'd probably better get to class before the teachers think I've died or something. I've got a thousand things to do tonight, but I'll probably see you again tomorrow," he said, pushing his glasses up.

"I'll look forward to it."

Ikkyu walked out of the room grinning and looking somewhat dazed, and Mary sat back against her pillows, unable to believe what had happened. Not only had he asked if they could eat lunch together, he hadn't pulled away when she lost her head completely and hugged him. In fact, he as much as told her he'd be back to see her again.

_If this is a dream, I'm going to kill the person who wakes me up._


	5. Back to School

True to Dr. Kamiya's prediction, Mary was back in her room Sunday afternoon and up early Monday for class. She put on her shorts and t-shirt, tied back her hair and met Mozart outside the dorm. He was standing in his gym clothes looking bored by the stairs and she grinned at him.

"Good morning, Amadeus!"

"You're cheerful today," he said, giving her a wary look. "Especially for going to gym."

"It's good to be back," replied Mary, grabbing his arm and hugging it. "And I'm in a good mood." Mozart looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"I shudder to ask what has you in such a good mood, though if I had to guess it would be something to do with St. Kleio's most obtuse clone." He yawned. "In any case, stop being so cheerful. I didn't get nearly enough rest to deal with it." Before Mary could tell him she didn't care, a girl with a cute, round face spotted them and ran over.

"Mozart!" She waved at him cheerfully and Mary stopped. Since her arms were still around Mozart's, he was forced to do the same. "Good morning," said Marie Curie. Her light blonde hair was in two braids that were pinned in circles on the sides of her head in a complicated-looking arrangement and tied with ribbons. "I was wondering, if you have any time this afternoon would you be willing to show me how to play this piece of music I found on the piano?"

"I don't have any time," Mozart said coolly. "In fact, I'm extremely busy. I already had to cancel my performance on Sunday because Mary was in the hospital, so we're going to have to make up for lost time." He pulled his arm away and started walking again, leaving both Mary and Marie standing behind him.

"Well, what about next week?"

"Busy," he said, not bothering to turn around. Marie blinked at him, then looked at Mary.

"Sorry," she said with a shrug, hoping Marie wouldn't ask her to intercede. "I'd better catch up with him." Mary walked as fast as she could to get back into step with Mozart, who looked as if his mood had gone from bored to irritated. "I didn't know Marie played the piano."

"She doesn't," Mozart snapped. "Every few weeks she comes and annoys me about teaching her and every few weeks I tell her to go away. It's bad enough I have to deal with you."

"I never asked you to teach me to play," said Mary, nettled. "You brought me on yourself." They had reached the main school building by that time and continued to bicker back and forth until they reached the gym. As they got closer to the locker rooms she gave up on Mozart and fell silent as she found herself getting nervous. Nearly every time she made it this far, one of the coaches came out to tell her she was excused and could go to the library instead.

"Oh, Mary Shelley," said the coach, who had been waiting outside for her with a clipboard. Mary's stomach dropped several feet and she sighed. Mozart patted her on the back, shaking his head.

"Damn."

"Maybe next time."

"According to Dr. Kamiya," said the coach, as if she hadn't heard either of them, "You are to participate in light activity starting today." She flipped the pages on the clipboard and nodded. "Let's see. We'll be doing endurance running and playing volleyball, so you are to walk slowly for the duration of the run and, provided you feel well enough, you may serve the ball for the other girls. I'll see you out on the field in ten minutes."

"Really?" Mary's face lit up. This was the first time since she was a little girl that she was able to do so much in gym and, excited though she was, the thought made her a little depressed at the same time. "Wow."

"Good for you," Mozart said, patting her on the back again. "Of course, this does mean you're not going to get to watch your clueless friend. Though I suppose if we're fencing today you wouldn't see him anyhow."

"Fencing?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "Try not to hurt anyone today."

"I never _try_ anything, Mary dear." He walked away with a casual shrug and Mary watching him go with a roll of her eyes. _He's such a pain in my ass_. She watched him until he disappeared into the boys' locker room, then turned and went into the girls.' Mary hadn't made it halfway through it to the gym before a cheerful, wavy-haired girl with an extremely ample bosom hurried over to her with a smile and put an arm around her.

"Good morning, Mary!"

"Good morning, Florence."

"I'm so glad you're feeling better," Florence Nightingale said brightly. "You looked so sick the other day when you left class, I was so worried."

"You're sweet," Mary said, sitting down so she could tie her shoe. "And thank you again for the flowers. I figured Ikkyu already told you but I wanted to thank you in person."

"Oh, you're welcome! I love flowers," Florence said. "They make everything so nice and cheerful, and that sort of thing really helps get you back on your feet." She sat down beside Mary and smiled cheerfully. "They're letting you exercise with us now? That's so wonderful. I bet you're nervous though." It was as if she'd read Mary's mind, and the darker-haired girl nodded.

"Yes," she said. "I've never really been allowed to exercise before. I don't know how good I'm going to be at sports or if I can even do any."

"Don't worry about that, you'll do fine." Still beaming, Florence grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "And if anything happens, I'll make sure you get to the hospital, even if I have to grab one of the boys and help him carry you myself."

"Thank you," Mary said. "But I hope you won't have to." They walked together through the locker room and onto the field where they were joined by Elizabeth and Marie Curie. Amelia, Susan and Helen hurried over as well and Mary wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. She'd never had so many other girls concerned about her.

"All right, girls, let's get warmed up for our endurance run," called the coach. "Mary Shelley, remember what I told you."

"Yes, ma'am," they all chorused, moving onto the track and grumbling. Mary was the only one who was grinning from ear to ear. She had a feeling that excitement would dissipate around the fifth lap or so, but she was going to enjoy herself as long as possible.

Meanwhile, in the gym, Mozart was making short work out of an entire class worth of fencing hopefuls. The majority of the boys were paired up and practicing on one another, keeping to their own level, but there were always a number of people who were trying to prove how good they were at fencing by trying to take down the toughest opponent in class.

After he'd sent the last limping toward the sidelines, Mozart was considering hitting the shower early. Then there was another one coming his direction and he motioned him forward. They tapped their foils together in salute and stepped forward to begin the engagement.

Much to Mozart's relief, the assault looked as if it was going to last more than a few strikes. While the challenger wasn't anywhere near his level, his footwork was good enough to keep Mozart moving and he managed several good, solid touches. The two parried and thrusted in turn and his opponent performed an excellent fleche that gave Mozart more than a moment's pause and allowed the other fencer to slip in a legal touch. Deciding that it was time to stop toying with whoever this was, he switched off his internal limiting mechanism. Once he unleashed his full fencing skill, it was over in minutes and as soon as both fencers stepped out of their defensive positions, Mozart stepped back out and took off his mask. It wasn't often that he was presented with anything remotely like a challenge.

"That was quite amusing, thank you." Mozart extended his ungloved hand to his opponent. Ikkyu removed his own mask and glove, then gripped his hand tightly with a grin on his sweaty face. His bangs were plastered against the side of his face and his glasses were halfway down his nose. "Oh," Mozart said, raising an eyebrow. "It's you."

"Yeah," Ikkyu said, wiping his face with the back of his hand and pushing up his glasses. "I knew you'd kick my ass but I wanted to say thanks and it's hard to catch you." Mozart let go of his hand and gave him a tight smile.

"Thanks?"

"About Mary. I never would have gone over there if it wasn't for you, so thanks for pointing me in the right direction." Ikkyu shook his head and sighed. "You were right about my being dense. I had no idea."

"Obviously." Mozart ran a hand through his hair, then walked past Ikkyu on his way to the locker room to change. "I hope you're paying more attention now." Not waiting for an answer, Mozart put away his foil and disappeared into the locker room.

"Does that guy ever smile?" With his hands on his hips, Napoleon watched him go. Shiro and Freud joined them, still in their fencing gear and Napoleon sighed deeply. "What made you want to fence with him, anyway?"

"I don't know," Ikkyu said, shrugging. "Just kind of felt like it."

"Come on," Napoleon said, jerking his head toward the locker room. "Let's hurry up and shower so we aren't late for class."

In the locker room, Ikkyu showered and put on his uniform quickly while Napoleon and the others were still rinsing off. His short hair gave him a decided advantage over them and he grinned and waved at them.

"Hey, I'm going to go ahead and take off. I'll see you in class."

"What?" Napoleon looked up from where he was toweling off his hair. "Hey, wait a second!"

Ikkyu pretended he hadn't heard him and disappeared into the hall, where he walked quickly down toward the girls' locker room. Just as he'd hoped, Mary was standing outside it talking to another girl he recognized as Amelia Earhart.

"Mary, hi!" Ikkyu waved at her as she looked down the hall and she smiled at him, raising her hand in a smaller version of his greeting. He waited for her to say goodbye to Amelia and come over to him, then fell in step with her. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," she said, her fingers tightening on the strap of her bag. "I was able to participate in gym class for the first time today. Amadeus says you fenced together today." She looked up at him and Ikkyu was surprised to see concern in her eyes. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. Why would you ask that?"

"Just something he said earlier. Not about you," Mary said hurriedly. "It's just that sometimes he gets carried away and thinks he's above, well, _everything_." She shook her head and sighed. "He's always been like that. Sometimes I think he only keeps me around to torture." Her smile returned when she looked back up at Ikkyu and his heart turned over. "I'm just glad he didn't get too rough with you."

"Nah. I mean, I'm never going to beat him or anything, but I can hold my own."

"I'm sure you can," she replied with a bright grin. "If your ability on the track is anything like your fencing skill, that is."

"Seriously, I'm not that good." They walked together toward the classroom and Ikkyu put his hands behind his head. "You just keep looking up at the right time."

"I'm pretty sure that's not the case," Mary replied. _Because I don't ever look away from you_, she added to herself. It was something she'd never say out loud, mostly because walking beside him felt so nice that she didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize it. "I'm glad he didn't act like too much of a jerk today."

"He's okay," Ikkyu said. "You two are pretty close, huh?"

"Yeah. He's always kind of taken care of me, like an older brother. I can't even remember when it started," she said thoughtfully. "It's like one day he was just _there_."

"I see." He considered this and Mary smiled.

"I promise he's not as bad as everyone thinks." They had arrived at the classroom and Ikkyu stepped aside so she could walk past him. "Thank you. So, um, I wanted to say thanks again for visiting me in the hospital, Ikkyu. It really was sweet of you. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you at the end." Mary seemed very intent on getting to her seat and Ikkyu shook his head.

"No, uh, not really." Blushing, he looked at the floor. "It was nice. I'd be okay if you wanted to do it again sometime."

"Oh!" Now Mary was bright red, and she clutched her bag. "W-well, um, I'm glad. I thought it was nice too. If you want, w-we could get together after class one of these days and talk about my original's work."

"Sure," Ikkyu said. "But I'd rather talk about your work. Or, you know, something else. Like, not school-related." Mary hadn't had a chance to answer before Shiro, Freud and Napoleon came into the room.

"W-well, um, maybe I'll see you after class," she said, ducking her head and hurrying to her seat. Ikkyu looked back to see his friends coming toward him and sighed. She seemed so nervous around other people, and he wondered whether or not it had something to do with the fact that the only person she saw most of the time was Mozart.

Mary sat down at her desk and took her notebook out of her bag, then opened it and started copying down something from her textbook. Though he pretended to pay attention to whatever it was Shiro and Freud were bickering about this time, Ikkyu sat down, leaned his head on his hand and watched her for a moment. As soon as she'd started on her work it was as if he didn't exist.

He spent class halfway listening to the teacher and halfway thinking about what he should say to her after class. It wasn't a question of whether or not he was going to do it, just what he was going to say and how he could convince her that his friends weren't going to make fun of her. As soon as they were dismissed, he shot out of his seat and went over to hers.

"So, uh, I know we don't have the next class together but would you like to eat lunch with me after it's over?" He smiled at Mary, who stopped packing her books and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Ikkyu," she said, and from the look on her face he knew she meant it. "Amadeus and I were going to go over the music for our performance in a couple of weeks. He already had to cancel it because I was sick so it really would be rude of me to refuse."

"That's cool, it's no big deal," said Ikkyu, feeling like an idiot. "Maybe some other time!" He could feel the eyes of his friends on him as he walked stiffly away from her, a fake grin plastered on his face. When he reached the hallway, Napoleon grinned at him. "Shut up."

"Oh man, you totally got shot down."

"I did not," Ikkyu muttered, keeping his head down.

"Then why do you have that look on your face?" Napoleon shrugged. "It's rough, but there are plenty of other girls at St. Kleio who'd like to go out with you."

"She didn't shoot me down, she just said she was having lunch with Mozart."

"Oh, is _that _why you were fencing with him? I hate to break it to you, man, but if she's going out with Mozart you've got about as much chance with her as I do marrying Shiro." Napoleon hooked an arm around Shiro's neck. "Come on, let's get going. I'll let you win at pool this afternoon to make you feel better."

"I don't need you to let me win to beat you at pool," Ikkyu said, regaining some of his cheer. "All I need is a cue and half an hour."

"You're on!"

"Enough, enough." With a sigh, Mozart rubbed the top of Mary's head. "You look like you're about to fall asleep at the keyboard."

"I'm fine," she yawned. "It's just been a long day."

"Considering you haven't had to do so much in the last week or so, I'm not surprised you're exhausted. Not to mention exercising for the first time," he added, shaking his head. "Perhaps you should go back to your dorm and get some sleep."

"I'm fine," she said irritably and Mozart stood up.

"How about you indulge me and have a seat on the couch for a few minutes. Here, I'll even sit with you." He scooped up his sheet music and went to the small, ornate couch against the wall. Mary gave him a dubious look but followed. Her bag was leaning against it and he reached inside and handed her one of her books from the top of the stack. "We'll take a break for a little while, then get back to the music, how's that?"

"If you say so." Mary sat on the couch beside him and opened her book. "It's been a good day, Amadeus, and I have no intention of cutting it short because I'm a little sleepy."

"Of course not." He looked at his sheet music. It was less than five minutes before he felt something drop onto his shoulder and he smirked. "So stubborn. You'd think you'd have learned by now that I'm always right."

As pleased as he was that he had been right, Mozart quickly realized the fatal flaw in his plan. If he moved her, she would wake up and he'd have a hard time getting her to go to sleep again. He couldn't sit around all afternoon, though, especially with a performance coming up. A solution came in the form of Ikkyu poking his head through the door of the conservatory. When Mozart saw him, he put a finger to his lips and motioned to Mary, whose head was leaning against his shoulder. Her mouth was open just slightly and she was breathing deeply, and when Ikkyu got closer he could see she was asleep with a book on her lap.

"She was exhausted after her first day back," Mozart said vaguely, shuffling the pages of his sheet music without looking at Ikkyu. "I suppose I should wake her and make her go to her dorm room but she'll just resist, which means I'll probably be forced to walk her and I just don't have the energy."

"I'll walk her," Ikkyu volunteered, and Mozart gave him an appraising look. His face was honest and eager, and Mozart remembered the way he had looked when he took off his fencing mask. As annoying as he found the boy's easygoing attitude, he did seem to like Mary and since she was completely enraptured of him, she would listen if he told her to go to her dorm.

"Yes, I think she'd like that." He turned his attention to the dark head on his shoulder and shook her. "Wake up, Mary, my arm is falling asleep."

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her face as she sat up. "I must have just dozed off."

"Yes. You're tired. You should go lie down. Fortunately," Mozart said, indicating Ikkyu, "This young man has offered to walk you to your dorm. Now, wasn't that kind of him?"

"Huh?" Mary looked over at Ikkyu, who grinned brightly and waved at her. "Oh! Y-yes, yes it was. Thank you," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag, then looking back at Mozart. "Are you sure you don't need my help, Amadeus?"

"Go on, you need your rest more than I need your assistance. Besides, I've been doing it on my own while you were in the infirmary. Just keep yourself rested. I've got a performance of my original's work in two weeks and your hands have a supporting role." He made a shooing motion at Mary, who smiled brightly. "I'll see you in the morning."

"See you then," Mary said, then followed Ikkyu out the door and into the hallway. He looked at her curiously as he held the door open.

"In the morning?"

"Amadeus meets me at my dorm in the morning," Mary said with a shrug. "He walks with me to class, reminds me of things I might have forgotten. Like I said, he's always just _there_."

"Oh. That's nice of him," Ikkyu said.

"I think it's more likely that he thinks I'm going to pass out or embarrass him." The sun was shining and Mary smiled when it hit her face. "Ahh, that feels good. So glad to be out of that stupid hospital room. Maybe tomorrow I'll bring my lunch out here."

"Yeah, the weather's been good lately." He put his hands behind his head and looked out over the lawn. "Good thing, too, I think we're going to be out on the track later this week. Nothing's worse than trying to do sprints in boiling weather. And forget about drinking water, that just gives you stomach cramps."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mary said. A breeze picked up and blew her hair into her face and she brushed it away. "I knew I made a mistake not re-braiding my hair after gym," she said irritably, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and Ikkyu's heart skipped a beat. "I take back everything I said about the nice weather." Ikkyu laughed and she gave him a petulant look. "Easy for you to laugh, we could be standing in the middle of a tornado and your hair would survive."

The dorms were too close to the main campus for Ikkyu's taste, especially when they were walking up the stairs less than ten minutes after they'd left the conservatory. Mary hesitated around the bottom of the steps, looking as if she would rather do anything other than go inside. She tugged at the shoulder strap of her bag.

"So," she said, looking up at him. "Thank you for walking with me."

"Sure. Anytime." They stood in silence and Ikkyu tried to think of something to say. Mary cleared her throat nervously.

"Amadeus is going to kill me if I don't take a nap or something," she said. "So I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow." Ikkyu nodded and she turned to go up the steps to the dorm. He thought of what Napoleon had said and the need to ask her again overpowered his rational thought.

"Hey, Mary?"

"Yeah?" She turned, her hand on the door.

"You want to eat with me tomorrow? Out on the lawn?" Her face broke into a grin and she nodded vigorously.

"Sure! I'd love to!"

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow!" Ikkyu took a couple of steps backward, then missed his footing on the edge of the sidewalk. He flailed wildly for a moment, then regained his balance before he fell. Mary looked worried and he shook his head. "No worries! I'm fine!" Before he could embarrass himself further, he took off toward the boys' dorm. Mary watched him until he disappeared into the dorm, then went inside.

She waited until she was in her own room with the door closed before throwing her hands into the air and spinning around with a squeal of joy. _I can't believe it! I can't believe Ikkyu wants to eat lunch with me!_ Mary flung herself back onto the bed and picked up her tiny bear from its place on her pillow. She held it up over her head and grinned. _I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep! _But just as it had in the conservatory, Mary's day caught up with her and she had dozed off again on her bed without even taking off her uniform.

When Ikkyu got back from the bathroom later that evening, Mozart was standing outside his door. In his pressed white shirt and calf-high leather boots, he looked more like he was going riding than lounging in the dorm and the look on his face suggested extreme impatience. As soon as he saw Ikkyu he pushed himself off the wall but kept his arms folded over his chest.

"Finally," he said irritably. "How long does it take you to shower?"

"I dunno, probably not as long as you," said Ikkyu with a shrug. "I don't have as much hair." He grinned and rubbed his short-cropped hair. "What's up?"

"How is Mary?"

"Huh? Oh, she was fine when I left her." He stuck his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. There was something about Mozart that made him a little nervous when he cornered him alone like this. Something in his eyes that just made it seem like he was on edge. "She told me about how you walk her to class in the morning. That's cool."

"Oh? Then tomorrow _you're_ going to walk her to class," Mozart said, one eyebrow arched. "Instead of my meeting her first thing in the morning, you're going to meet her." A sardonic smirk tugged at the corner of his fine-boned face. "Unless you'd rather not." It was almost as if he was daring Ikkyu to say he was busy or unwilling.

"No," Ikkyu said with a smile. "I'd like to talk to her more."

"Good," Mozart replied with a nod. "She has a tendency to be dramatic but she also has quite a few interesting things to say. I think she must get that from her original. Though she isn't as outgoing, that's for sure." He departed for his own room and Ikkyu watched him for a moment.

_I don't think that's the case_, he thought as he went into his room and stepped out of his shoes. _She just doesn't know a lot of people. She looked like she was doing fine talking to Amelia and Florence said she was very cheerful in the locker room_. He put his headphones on and sat back on his bed with a book of his original's writing. _Maybe if she hangs out with my friends for a little while she'll be more social._

While the thought seemed like a good one at first, Ikkyu immediately began to doubt it. He wanted Mary to interact more with people but at the same time he wanted her to himself. Even if he was having a hard time figuring out what to say to her at times, just being around her was nice and he was certain she felt the same way. Then again, he couldn't be sure. Maybe she liked him but was uncomfortable with him being around her all the time. He wondered if this was something that happened. Having no experience with it meant he also had no frame of reference and he dropped the book he was reading onto his face.

_Why does this have to be so difficult?_

In the girls' dorm, Mary woke with a gasp and sat up, then slid off the side of the bed and hit the floor with a thump. Rubbing her backside as she stood up, she tried to remember what had caused her to wake up so suddenly and couldn't. She hadn't been able to remember her dreams for a few weeks now, and from the cold sweat plastering her bangs to her forehead she had a feeling that it was a good thing. _Probably a nightmare_, she thought. _I haven't had those in a while_.

After a glance in the direction of the clock she undressed slowly, hung her uniform up in her closet and pulled on her pajamas. She brushed her hair in the mirror, wincing as she worked out the tangles from the wind and sleep, then braided it carefully so she wouldn't have to deal with more of the same in the morning.

Mary settled onto the bed to work on her story for a little while and soon forgot that she might have had a nightmare at all. Escaping into her own world was always her solution for taking her mind off things that worried her and when she did, she threw herself into it fully. So much so, in fact, that she didn't realize she had a visitor until they spoke.

"Mary Shelley!"

"Hm?" Mary looked up from her place on the bed, where she was laying on her stomach and typing on her computer. "Oh, Empress Dowager," she said when she saw Cixi standing in the doorway looking bored. "What is it?"

"You have a visitor," said the young woman, tossing her shiny black hair over her shoulder. She was extremely pretty, a curvy sort of girl who wore low cut shirts to accentuate her figure further. "One of the boys, I think."

"Oh, really?" Mary closed her computer with a snap and sat up. "Who is it?"

"I don't know, I didn't bother with the details." Cixi inspected her fingernails. "Joan of Arc asked me to tell you. She was on her way out."

"Probably Amadeus," Mary said with a yawn. "Thank you." Cixi didn't bother to reply, only went back out into the hall and strutted toward her room. Mary tugged on a pair of jeans and put on a t-shirt printed with shadows of jellyfish, then slipped on her loafers and headed down the hall, wondering what Mozart could want at this time of night when he had been so adamant that she should get some rest. Thinking that whatever it was must be important, she quickened her step and pushed open the door, only to find Ikkyu standing by the steps. Girls were giggling as they walked past him and he grinned when he saw Mary come through the door.

"Hey there!"

"Ikkyu?" She came down the steps to stand in front of him. This was not at all what she had been expecting, but it was a welcome surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, I was just hanging out in my room listening to some music," he said, scratching the side of his face. "I finished reading this and figured I should probably return it." Ikkyu handed her the flash drive she'd given him.

"Thank you," Mary said, looking down at it. "You didn't have to come out here to give it back right now, though." She smiled back up at him eagerly. "What did you think?"

"I liked it," Ikkyu said thoughtfully. "It was different from the other one, though. More serious."

"W-well, it's still a work in progress," she said.

"No, that's not what I meant. It was good, just less-" He seemed to be groping for the right word and Mary thumbed through the pages. "-sensationalistic?"

"You think so?" She sighed. "It probably won't sell without some work, then. The publishers said the other would do well in both academia and the mainstream because it was so visceral. Maybe I should add a couple of really bizarre murders with a lot of subtext."

"Or you could just kill your agent. That'd get you tons of publicity," Ikkyu joked, and Mary blinked up at him. "Sorry," he said. "That didn't come off as well when I said it as it did in my head." Before Mary could assure him that it was hilarious, he cleared his throat. "So, uh, what kind of music do you like?"

"Music?" This was a sharp departure from their previous conversation and Mary pointed at the bench beside the dorm. "Do you mind if we sit down?"

"I don't mind," Ikkyu said and followed her to the bench. They sat down beside one another, leaving several inches between them, and she smiled.

"Sorry, I just feel a little silly standing out there to talk." Mary crossed her ankles and looked thoughtfully up at the sky. "Music, huh? Well, Amadeus would love me to say classical but as he's not listening, I'm going to be honest and say I like the sort of calm and mellow thing that people call bleak?"

"Oh yeah! I like some of that stuff too. I mostly listen to electronic stuff and some rock but there are some really cool things going on out there. For example," he said brightly, holding up a finger, "Did you know there's this band out there that doesn't have a drummer? They've got a girl who tap dances on a wooden platform instead. And there's another great band that has a guy who plays all his own stuff live, then loops it over itself with a bunch of foot pedals." He glanced down at her shirt and grinned. "And I _love _those guys."

"Really?" She pulled at the front of her shirt and looked down at the upside-down design. "They're one of my favorites." Mary couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him. All the time she'd thought he wouldn't be interested in talking to anyone outside his own group of friends, they would have gotten along just fine if she'd just worked up the nerve to talk to him.

"Music's one of those things no one really minds, and I can listen to it while I make an attempt to get out from under my pile of homework," Ikkyu said, putting a hand on his forehead dramatically. "Any more essays and I'm going to start going bald."

"It'll be a good start for when you're a monk," Mary said encouragingly. "I mean, you're going to have to do it eventually, right?"

"I'm hoping to change the fashion by then," he replied, running a hand through his bangs, the only part of his hair long enough to do so. Unfortunately, his attempt at looking cool was thwarted by the sleeve of his sweatshirt, which caught the edge of his glasses and pulled them off the bridge of his nose. "Ah, dammit," he swore as they hit his knee and bounced onto the ground.

"Smooth," Mary giggled, leaning down to pick them up for him so he wouldn't step on them. Ikkyu leaned down at the same time and they bumped heads, which only made Mary laugh more. Ikkyu scooped up his glasses and rubbed the lenses with the edge of his shirt.

"You're one to talk," he said, his cheeks red. Mary looked up at him, wanting to say something clever, but she was stopped when she saw his face bare of its glasses for the first time. It made him look much younger, and she found her own cheeks turning pink. As much as she adored him already, Mary was struck by just how handsome he was and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. He was out here talking to her, but Mozart had probably put him up to it again. He had talked him into visiting her at the hospital, and to walking her to her dorm. It was just as likely that he had cornered Ikkyu in the dorm and told him to come talk to her.

The wind picked up and she shivered, wishing she'd thought to bring a sweater out. She'd been expecting Mozart, who never stayed to talk more than a few minutes. She rubbed her hands on her bare arms and glanced at the dorm. It would be the perfect excuse to go inside and she was just opening her mouth to tell Ikkyu when he unzipped the hooded sweatshirt he'd worn over and dropped it over her shoulders.

"Here," he said. "You get cold easily, right?"

"Yeah," Mary said, blinking at him. "Dr. Kamiya said it's my circulation. It should improve once I get used to exercising and stuff." She couldn't believe he'd remembered that from the hospital.

"Besides, I don't want to get killed by Mozart if you catch a cold or something." Ikkyu shook his head. "That guy. You'd think he was your bodyguard or something."

"It's okay," Mary said, shaking her head. "I can just go inside. I don't want you to be cold." She started to take the sweatshirt off but Ikkyu shook his head firmly.

"Nope. I'm fine. It's a well-known fact that ascetics sit under freezing waterfalls as part of their meditation training to help focus their energy and drive worldly thought out of their minds." He made a show of flexing his mostly non-existent muscles.

"I didn't know you were an ascetic," Mary said, slipping her arms into the sleeves of the sweatshirt and zipping it up to keep the ghost of his warmth close to her.

"Well, no," Ikkyu said with a shrug. "But there's always a possibility, right?" He draped his arms over the back of the bench. "I do meditate, though. I mean I have to, of course, because I'm Ikkyu but I put more effort into it than that." He smiled. "I guess I take after my original in that respect."

"Me too," replied Mary, looking at her notebook, then up at Ikkyu with a sly smile. "Sometimes when I'm supposed to be taking notes in class, I actually write in my notebooks. If I get an idea, I have to write it down right away so I don't forget it, or sometimes I think of something I'd like to change or fix and I write that down so I can take care of it when I get a free minute." She blinked at him thoughtfully. "I wish I could meditate. There are too many thoughts in my head sometimes and it's hard to focus."

"It's not hard," Ikkyu said. "Freud would probably say that's why I'm able to do it, because it's easy. The hardest part is clearing your mind of conscious thought. That's what people have the most trouble with." He laughed. "Freud would also probably say that it's easy for me because my mind is so clear of thought already. It helps if you chant or something, too, or concentrate on a sound."

"A sound?"

"Like a bell or a gong, or a bird singing it you're outside." He smiled brightly at her. "I can teach you if you like. You know, tell you what you should do."

"I think that would be nice," said Mary. "Where do-"

"Mary _Shelley_!" The dorm director leaned out the door with a scowl. "What on earth do you think you're doing out here this late? You're going to catch your death, you just got out of the hospital!" She turned her ire on Ikkyu. "And _you, _Ikkyu Sojun! Shouldn't you be in your dorm?"

"Sorry," they said at the same time, then looked at each other and laughed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Mary said, getting up.

"Yeah, I'll see you in the morning."

"Morning? I-"

"_**MARY.**_"

Ducking her head guiltily, Mary ran up the steps to join the dorm director, who continued to lecture her as she held the door open. Mary looked over her shoulder at Ikkyu, who waved at her briefly before putting his hands in his pockets and running across the yard to his own dorm.

It wasn't until she was back in her room that she realized she was still wearing his sweatshirt. Carefully, she laid it out on the bed while she put her pajamas back on, keeping her eyes on it as if she was afraid it was going to run away. Just before she got in bed, she pulled it back on and put her arms around herself, breathing deeply. _I don't ever want to give it back_, she thought with a smile. _He put it on me because he knew I was cold. Maybe he really does like me._

Unable to get her mind back on her work, she abandoned her computer for the night and pulled the covers up to her chin. Surrounded by warmth and the smell of Ikkyu that she remembered from his helping her in the hospital, she fell asleep easily. This time, she didn't dream.


	6. Enlightenment

The sound of rain on his window woke Ikkyu the next morning and he sat bolt upright in bed.

"What?" He pushed aside the curtains and squinted out at the campus, dark beneath the thick clouds and covered in sheets of rain. "No," he groaned. "Aw, man." Smacking a hand to his forehead, he flopped back onto the bed. Lunch with Mary, it seemed, had been cancelled.

After getting dressed and dragging himself to the main building, Ikkyu walked behind Napoleon and Freud with a dark cloud hanging over his head. It had been raining too hard for him to wait outside the door for Mary and they didn't have class together until ten.

"Are you still moping about yesterday?" Napoleon looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "Come on, you've got to pull it together. If she doesn't like you, she doesn't like you." Ikkyu was feeling far too depressed to correct him. This, combined with the worry about what Mozart was going to say when he found out, made it nearly impossible for him to concentrate.

"Look," continued Napoleon after class as they walked past the rain-washed windows, "All I'm saying is that she's the one who's missing out. If she's more interested in hanging out with Mozart, then you probably didn't want her anyway. He's not exactly a party to be around."

"It's not like that," Ikkyu said with a sigh. "We were supposed to—" He was cut off suddenly when he saw Mary walking down the hall beside Mozart, looking as if they were deep in conversation. "Mary!" He waved at her and she turned in his direction, smiling.

"Hi," she said. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's great," muttered Ikkyu, fully aware that Napoleon and Freud were watching him like a pair of hawks. "I'm sorry about lunch. Guess we'll have to do it some other time."

"I'm afraid so," Mary said. "Don't worry, though, I'm sure we'll have another chance." She glanced over at Mozart, who was giving them a look that clearly said he didn't have all day to listen to them. "I still have your sweatshirt."

"Keep it," Ikkyu said a little too quickly. Mary looked up at him questioningly and he blushed. "I m-mean, I'm not in any hurry to get it back. I've got others like it. You can hang onto it for a while if you want."

"Oh. Well, okay then." She sounded uncertain but continued to smile as she glanced over at Mozart, who had sighed heavily. "I'm glad you liked the story. Are you doing anything after class?"

"Just hanging out and playing pool with the guys," Ikkyu said. "You, uh, you want to come hang out with us?" He looked past her at Mozart. "You can come too, there's plenty of room."

"I'll have to decline," Mozart said. "I have more important things to do."

"I'd love to," Mary said loudly. "I don't know how to play pool but I wouldn't mind learning. Or just watching. Really, either way is fine with me." Her cheeks were getting redder with every word and Ikkyu grinned. It was the first good news he'd had all day.

"Great! Your last class today is Politics, right? I'll meet you afterward."

"Okay." Mozart sighed again loudly and Mary shot him a dirty look. "All right, Amadeus, all right." She looked back at Ikkyu and smiled. "I'll see you after class, Ikkyu."

"All right!" He watched her and Mozart go into the classroom together, bickering under their breath at each other. Napoleon walked up to him and dropped his hand on his shoulder.

"Nice one," he said with a grin. "Maybe there's hope for you after all! Now, we'll have to make sure nothing embarrassing happens this afternoon. I'll have Florence order some extra desserts and tea, make sure Freud keeps his mouth shut-"

"Hey!"

"-and you can show her how to play pool. It's the perfect setup for you to put your arm around her," Napoleon said, excitedly clenching his fist. "You two are gonna be so cute together!"

"Hey, hey," Ikkyu said, holding his hands up. "If you don't want anything to embarrass me, you're doing a really bad job of it."

"What?" Napoleon smacked him on the back of the head. "What do you mean by that?"

"What are you two arguing about now?" Shiro shook his head as he walked up to his friends, accompanied by Marie Curie, Florence and Elizabeth.

"Ikkyu's girlfriend," grinned Napoleon.

"Oh, not this again."

The girls had disappeared somewhere for lunch together, which wasn't unusual for them, leaving Napoleon, Ikkyu, Freud and Shiro to search for a table together. It was easier to find one of the small tables than a large one, so it didn't take much time or effort. Mozart and Mary had left right after class, most likely to practice their piano piece, so Ikkyu hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to her again before she left.

As he put his tray down on the table, he scanned the dining hall and saw Mary sitting just a few tables away with her head bent down. It took him only a few seconds to spring back to his feet and pick up his tray.

"Sorry, guys, I'm going to go talk to Mary."

"Go for it, dude." Napoleon patted him on the back with a serious look on his face. "We're all behind you." This was exactly what Ikkyu was afraid of, but he didn't say anything. Instead he moved toward her table, determined to have lunch with her or die trying.

When he got closer, he could see that Mary had a notebook open in front of her and a textbook open at her left side. She was writing with one hand and had half of a sandwich in the other, giving her the look of a person who had not a single second to waste. Ikkyu wondered suddenly whether it had been a good idea to come over, but he didn't want to look like an idiot turning around and going back to the table to have Napoleon and Freud smirk at him.

"Uh, hi, Mary," he said uncertainly, and she looked up.

"Oh, Ikkyu! Hi!" Her face brightened when she saw him and relief washed over him.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all, please do!" Mary pulled her things to the side so he could put down his tray. "I'm sorry, I've got a real mess going here."

"What are you studying?"

"Just doing some research and making notes on things I need to change. When I get an idea, it's best for me to get it out of my head before it disappears."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He had been about to pick up his fork but stopped before he touched it. "I can eat with you some other time if it's inconvenient."

"No, it's okay!" Her face serious, Mary closed her book and notebook and shoved them to the side. "I was almost finished. Besides, I'd-" She stopped abruptly and Ikkyu gave her a curious look. Mary blushed deeply and picked up her drink. "-I'd rather eat with you," she finished, then pulled the cup to her lips and took a long pull of the straw.

"Me too," Ikkyu said, picking up his fork at last. He could feel the looks of his friends on his back and ignored them pointedly. "I hope I didn't get you into trouble last night."

"Not really. I just got lectured about being outside after bedtime with a nice long aside about how I'm going to get sick and end up in the hospital again." She sighed. "That's been their favorite way to scare me since I was a little kid, telling me I'm going to end up in the hospital. What about you? Did you get in trouble?"

"Nah. No one was even around when I got back." He set down his cup. "Besides, half the guys were still awake."

"You guys are lucky, we always get told off. Half the time it's about how we should be polite and behave like ladies and not get into trouble. The same boring stuff they've been telling us since we were born," she sighed, shrugging and shaking her head. "I wish I was a boy, it's perfectly acceptable for you to be loud and silly."

"I'm kinda glad you aren't a boy, actually." Ikkyu scratched the side of his nose and looked up at the ceiling nervously. "Um, you know, because that would make me kind of gay and I'm pretty sure that's not the case. I mean, I've been hanging around with guys all my life and I don't have any interest in them. I mean, it's not like I'm Einst-" He stopped talking when Mary cocked her head at him and turned the color of a pomegranate. "Yeah, I know, I'll shut up."

"No, it's all right," she said cheerfully. "I'm glad you don't like boys."

"Me too. Wait, I mean, I'm glad _you _like boys-"

"That's the saddest thing I've ever seen," Napoleon sighed from the other table as he watched Ikkyu flounder. Even though he couldn't hear what was being said, they'd been friends long enough for him to know on sight when Ikkyu was making an idiot of himself. "I wonder if we should intervene?"

"It's best for him to experience these things on his own," Freud said, shaking his head. "Otherwise, how will he ever learn? Besides, it doesn't look like she's uncomfortable." He leaned across the table to Napoleon. "And what are your thoughts on this? You seem somewhat conflicted by their relationship, however loosely I may use that term."

"Conflicted?" Napoleon frowned. "Not really. I mean, I'm glad he's happy and stuff, but Ikkyu has a tendency to kind of go overboard on stuff. He can't ever just be middle of the road about something. It's always either awesome or terrible."

"Yes," Freud said. "He does have a tendency to be overexcitable. However, it seems that Mary Shelley is the opposite. Perhaps hanging around with Mozart has given her a tendency to be cool and collected. It's likely they will act as a balance for one another, should they progress to anything resembling an actual relationship instead of _that_." He indicated Mary and Ikkyu's table, where their friend was laughing loudly and nervously while Mary looked into her lap and blushed. Freud sighed. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps we should intervene."

"No, I think it'll be fine," Shiro said with a cheerful smile. "Like you said, she's not getting up and leaving or anything. I think they both like each other but don't have any idea how to express it." He looked up at Napoleon and Freud. "I've seen a lot of couples like them at my old schools. Is it that much different when you're a clone?"

"Not really, I guess," Napoleon said. "I mean, I don't think they exactly encourage dating around here, though. Interferes with our potential or something. At least that's what I assume they'd say." He looked over in time to see Mary reach over and put a hand on Ikkyu's, laughing. "But I guess there are some things you just can't control."

"Hello, there." Smiling brightly, Florence appeared at their tableside. "Shiro, Dr. Kamiya is looking for you."

"Oh, Dad is?" Shiro stood up, forgetting about his lunch entirely. "Did he say why?"

"No, he just asked me to have you go see him."

"Hey, Florence, while you're here," Napoleon said with a smile, "Can you see what you can do about getting us some extra cake and tea this afternoon? Something girly?"

"Girly?" She blinked and Napoleon pointed to the table where Mary and Ikkyu were now deep in conversation. It took her a moment, but when she realized what she was looking at, she clapped her hands together. "Oh, yes, of course! How wonderful! Is Mary Shelley coming to have tea with us, then?" Napoleon nodded and Florence beamed. "How lovely! I must tell Elizabeth and Marie!" She turned and darted back out of the lunchroom, leaving Napoleon with his mouth hanging half-open.

"Good job, General," Freud said, arching an eyebrow at him. "Now the entire girls' dorm is going to know that Ikkyu and Mary are going out before they themselves do."

"Shut up, Freud," Napoleon said, turning red. He really hoped Ikkyu could forgive him for this.

After class, Mary waited against the wall by the classroom for Ikkyu. The other students walked back and forth past her as if she wasn't even there, and she scanned the crowd every time a new person joined it. Thinking it would do her no good to keep on this way, she took out a book of Percy Bysshe Shelley's work and began thumbing through it.

_So this was my husband before_, she thought as she read the poems. _This was the man I, no, my original loved so much that she followed him into poverty and ostracism. She loved him so much, in spite of all the terrible things people said about him and the questionable things he did._ Mary gazed at the page, wondering what Percy would say if he could see her standing here like the reanimated monster from her original's novel.

Something terrible and wonderful clicked in Mary's head, a light that went on as if she'd flipped a switch, and she was so preoccupied with it that she didn't notice Ikkyu walking up to her until he was standing right beside her.

"Hey, Mary."

"Huh?" She looked up blankly, then jumped when she realized Ikkyu was standing beside her. "Oh! S-sorry," she stammered. "I was kind of spacing out for a second."

"It's cool." He motioned for her to follow him and they walked together toward the room where he and his friends did all their hanging out. Mary couldn't shake the thoughts that were going around in her head and in spite of the fact that she was about to spend the afternoon with the one person in the whole of St. Kleio she had been fixated on for years, she found herself thinking them again. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mary stepped into the small lounge, which consisted of a curved sofa that would seat three, a wing chair and a pool table. A few other assorted chairs were around the room, and there was a window that looked out over the track. "This place is nice. Sort of cozy."

"That's weird," Ikkyu said, frowning as she walked around the room. "Everyone's usually in here by now."

"Mm." Standing by the window, Mary's mind had started back onto its familiar path. Ikkyu put his hand on her shoulder gently and she looked up to see him smiling kindly.

"You look like you're thinking pretty hard about something," he said. His voice was quieter than usual and Mary felt warmth spread from where his hand was resting on her shoulder to the tips of her fingers. "Why don't you tell me about it, maybe I can help you figure it out?"

"Okay. It's kind of, I don't know, fatalistic, though." Sighing, Mary leaned her hip against the window frame with her hands grasping her elbows. Ikkyu nodded to the couch and she followed him over, sitting beside him without really thinking about it. "I was thinking about my original's work. You know, _Frankenstein_."

"Sure."

"My original," Mary said, leaning back against the thick quilts of the couch. "She wrote about a man – a doctor – who was so arrogant that he thought he could create life. Not just create life, create immortality! Conquer death! And through his experiments Victor Frankenstein made this wondrous creature but didn't stop to think of the implications of his decision, and his coldness and rejection left the creature wandering its world in search of meaning to its life." She sighed. "It was nothing to him, nothing more than an experiment. He created it, but when he saw it was a living creature that didn't measure up to his expectations, he was disgusted and rejected it without trying to understand what he'd created at all."

"It's a scary thought," Ikkyu said. "But the creature searched and found meaning in his own life," he added. "Granted, it eventually took the form of a desperate desire for revenge on his creator but he found a purpose all the same."

"Yes. That's not what was bothering me, though. The thought occurred to me that my original was describing us." She stared blankly across the room. "We clones are Frankenstein's monsters," she said. "Every one of us. They only created us to prove they could, and when we exceeded their dreams they came up with a purpose for us that would serve them. Even so, we're still nothing to them but experiments. Just ones that happen to breathe and walk and think."

"Aw, come on." Ikkyu put his arm around her shoulder, shaking his head. "I don't think it's completely like that. We're supposed to go out into the world and help realize our originals' dreams. That's why we were made ."

"Of course that's what they tell us. I don't know how true it is, though," Mary said, looking over at him. "In a way we clones do have the potential for immortality through our work. Our originals certainly haven't been forgotten, otherwise we wouldn't be here. And I do suppose that among clones, you and I are fortunate. No matter what happens, I can always write and there will always be disciples for you to enlighten."

"Yeah, we'll be all right." Still smiling, Ikkyu pulled her a little closer, squeezing her into his chest. It took a moment for him to realize what he'd done, that he was sitting on the couch with his arm around Mary, and when he turned toward her their faces were dangerously close to one another. Part of him wanted to let go of her and apologize but an even stronger desire was overtaking him. Without letting himself think about it too much, Ikkyu leaned in toward her. Mary closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly as she moved to meet him, only to jump two feet backward when the door opened.

"Hey, guys!" Napoleon grinned at them, stepping into the room with Freud, Shiro, Elizabeth, Marie Curie and Florence, who was holding a large pink box tied with string. The sudden audience was too much for Mary, who shot up out of her seat and hurried toward the door.

"Oh dear, I didn't realize the time! Amadeus must be waiting for me," she said, her face so red it looked maroon. "I'll see you later, Ikkyu."

"W-wait!" Ikkyu stood up and hurried to the door after her, only to find that Mary was already halfway down the hall. He sighed deeply and collapsed against the door frame.

"What happened?" Marie looked bewildered. "Why'd she leave?"

"Yeah, I thought she was hanging out with us," Napoleon said. "Did she end up having something to do with Mozart after all?" Ikkyu didn't answer and Elizabeth grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him roughly into the hallway.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go after her!"

"B-but I-"

"No buts! Go!" Elizabeth shoved him again and Ikkyu nodded, clenching his fist.

"Right!" He ran down the hall toward the conservatory. Even though he hadn't seen Mary go that way, he was sure it was where she would be. Especially if she really was going to go see Mozart. It seemed the most reasonable option.

When he got there, however, Mary was nowhere in sight. Mozart was sitting at the keyboard as usual, concentrating hard on the piece in front of him. Streams of music poured forth from his hands and he was smiling for a change. Ikkyu cleared his throat loudly and Mozart looked up.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Mary? She said something about coming down here."

"No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen her since earlier this afternoon in class. You might try the library or her dorm. Or she could be feeling unwell, you could look in the hospital wing." Mozart turned back to the piano and began to play again, leaving Ikkyu to trudge back to the lounge with his head down. Once he was sure Ikkyu was completely out of sight, Mozart paused for a moment to lean down and look under the piano.

"You can come out from there, he's gone."

"So embarrassed," Mary said from beneath the piano. She had situated herself under it at just the right angle so that Mozart's legs hid her from view in the doorway. "So embarrassed."

"Come out from under there, would you? You're muffling the sound." Mozart continued to play calmly and Mary continued to hide. "I'm very serious, Mary. If you're going to hide, do it under the couch. I'm busy."

"I just can't believe it." She remained under the piano and Mozart stopped playing again with a sigh of frustration.

"Believe it or don't believe it, but for the love of everything holy get out from under the piano. You aren't six years old anymore and it is no longer endearing." When she still didn't move, he raised his eyes heavenward as if asking for strength then slid underneath the piano and sat beside her. "This is extremely uncomfortable."

"Mph."

"Look, Mary. Loath though I am to seem unsympathetic to your plight, it's really nothing worth hiding over. I mean, I assume it isn't. You haven't explained to me why you're under my piano in the first place or why I told the object of your affection that you weren't under it. However, the fact is that said object came looking for you so whatever it is that happened couldn't have been that serious." Mary pulled her knees up to her chin and he groaned. "Are you trying to flash the entire school?"

"We were in the lounge and started talking about my original's work. I was talking to him about this theory I came up with and then he-" She fell silent and chewed on the end of her thumb. "-I don't know what he was doing. I mean, it could have been something. But probably not."

"So if it was nothing, then you shouldn't bother worrying about it. And if it was something, then why are you in here worrying about it?" He looked at Mary expectantly and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Perhaps I'm not the one you should be speaking to."

"I'll just crawl under the couch, then."

"Do as you like. Just so long as you don't do it under my piano." Mozart scooted out from under the piano, grabbed Mary's hand and dragged her out as well. "Come on. I'm going to my room to finish this. I'll walk you as far as the dorms."

"No, it's all right." Mary stood up and dusted off her skirt. "I think I'm going to go see Dr. Kamiya. I've got a bruise over where he put in the pacemaker that's looking kind of weird." She picked up her bag and slung it over her right shoulder instead of her left. "See you later, Amadeus." With her head down, Mary went into the hall and disappeared, her loafers snapping smartly on the floor. Mozart groaned and grabbed his uniform jacket, which had been slung over the back of a chair.

"Mary, wait!" He ran out into the hall after her and looked around, only to find that she was gone. The hallway was mostly empty and she was nowhere in sight. "Damn you," he muttered, shaking his head. "I hope you don't expect me to come looking for you."

On the second floor, Mary waited until she was sure he wasn't going to come up the stairs after her, then fell back against the wall with a sigh. She slid down it until she was sitting on the floor, then pulled her knees up to her chest.

She didn't particularly want to talk to anyone, and she knew if she went back to her dorm there was a decent chance Florence, Elizabeth and Marie would want to know what was wrong. Talking to Mozart had been useless, it always was, and right now she didn't even know if she could look Ikkyu in the eye. _What if he was just leaning over to tell me something and I thought it was something else? Or maybe he just felt sorry for me with my depressing theories on life. _Mary laid her head on her knees. She knew she'd have to go back to her room sometime but the longer she could put it off, the better.

Footsteps coming up the stairs snapped her out of her thoughts and she scrambled to her feet. She grabbed the strap of her bag and was just about to duck into a classroom when, much to her relief, Shiro appeared around the corner.

"Oh, hey, Mary," he said. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile.

"That's good. Dad told me about your operation. I'm really glad it worked for you."

"Thanks, Shiro." She'd talked with Shiro plenty of times when she came to see Dr. Kamiya, or when he went to see his father and she happened to be there, and he had always been nice. She supposed that living on the outside made a difference in these matters, knowing when to say things to people and when to shut up. "It's all thanks to Dr. Kamiya. No one even thought of this before he showed up, it was always just 'take your medicine, stay calm, you'll be fine' and all that."

"Yeah. Dad's usually like that with me but I guess he wanted to make sure you could do other stuff. I don't know. I think he was worried about you." Shiro sat on the railing. "You know, I think Ikkyu really likes you."

"Shiro," Mary said, her face coloring deeply. "I-I really don't want to talk about this."

"Why? There's nothing wrong with it." Mary picked up her bag and shook her head, then walked over to one of the wide windows and sat on the ledge. Shiro followed her. "Napoleon said he had a crush on somebody, I had no idea it was you."

"Napoleon was wrong," Mary said, blushing. Shiro sat down beside her.

"I don't think so," he said. "He gets really excited when someone mentions your name, and I've seen him looking at you in class. He totally likes you, Mary." There was a silence as she refused to look at him and Shiro stretched out his legs. "If you like him, you should tell him so."

"Do you have someone you like, Shiro?"

"Huh?" Shiro's face turned red and he glanced away from Mary. "N-no, I don't."

"You don't have to tell me who it is," Mary said with a knowing smile. "But I'm guessing that means you haven't told her either. And whatever your reason for not telling her, it's probably the same as my reason for leaving the lounge." She looked up at Shiro. "I know that's why you're here."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." There was another long silence, then he stood up. "I'm going to go change for dinner. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're here."

"Thanks, Shiro." Mary pulled out her computer and opened it. He waved at her, then started down the hall. Halfway down the stairs, he turned back to her.

"You don't have to worry about Ikkyu," he said, his cheeks red. "He's gonna like you no matter what. That's just the kind of guy he is." Mary waved at him in reply and he ran down the stairs. As soon as he was gone, Mary stretched her legs across the windowsill and began to write.

The next time she looked up, darkness had fallen outside the window. She glanced at the indicator on her computer and discovered that its battery was almost dead. With a sigh, she snapped it shut and stuck it back into her bag. She supposed if she could just get to her room without incident she could turn off the lights and tell everyone she was going to bed early. Her plan was foiled, however, when she turned onto the path between the campus and the dorms and saw a familiar face coming toward her.

"Mary!" Ikkyu ran over to her, grinning and waving. "I was just at your dorm looking for you."

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I had something to do."

"It's cool, don't worry about it." He looked at her curiously. "You're still wearing your uniform?" She nodded, tugging at her skirt, and he shrugged. "I never can wait to dump mine. Anyway, I looked for you after you left. Were you in the infirmary? I didn't see you there when I checked."

"N-no, I was-" Mary continued to tug at her skirt, not wanting to look up at him. It didn't matter what Shiro had said, she was still embarrassed. They walked together toward the dorms, stopping just in front of the boys.' Mary expected him to say goodbye and go inside but he stayed standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Ikkyu said, his voice becoming a little softer. Mary finally looked up at him and saw that he was smiling, but differently. He put his hands in the pockets of the hooded sweatshirt he was wearing over his t-shirt and his casual smile exuded a calm that settled over Mary like a blanket. "Those guys have the worst timing."

"It's all right," she said. "I just wasn't expecting them. I shouldn't have run off like that."

"Yeah, I know. I kind of wished I could run off too," Ikkyu admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Napoleon knows where to find me, though. You know, it's not that I didn't want them to see me with you," he said. "I just didn't want everyone watching me kiss you."

His words sent a bolt directly through Mary's heart, which began to beat faster. _He wanted to kiss me,_ she thought. _No, wait, he was _going _to kiss me! Ikkyu was actually going to kiss me. I can't believe I missed out on that because we had to pick that room to sit in._

"So, uh, do you want to go for a walk on the grounds? I've got a place I'd kind of like to show you if you don't mind." He was still rubbing the back of his neck, and even in the dim light of the dormitory porch she could see that his cheeks were red. "I know it's kind of late."

"No, it's all right." Mary looked up at him. She had either never realized how much taller than her he was or it just hadn't mattered until then. His eyes were dark and kind behind the squares of his glasses and his bangs obscured half of one. "Would you mind waiting a moment while I put on some clothes? I don't want to get my uniform dirty."

"Sure! I'll-I'll just wait here outside, okay?" As if to demonstrate that he was serious, Ikkyu dropped onto the foot of the steps that led up to the boys' dorm. Mary couldn't suppress a giggle as she nodded and hurried across the lawn to the girls' dorm. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw that he was watching her go, leaning back on his elbows against the top step.

When she got to her room she changed quickly into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a v-shaped neck and stripes circling the sleeves. Tugging on her sneakers, she pulled her hair out of its braid and brushed it, then pulled it back with a clip so it fell in waves around her shoulders and back. She pulled a sweater on over it and rushed back outside to meet him. On her way out the door she nearly ran into Himiko, who smiled at her in her usual mysterious way.

"Good evening, Mary Shelley," she said. "Where are you off to at this time of night?"

"Just out," Mary said pleasantly. She was fairly certain Himiko wouldn't press her for details, since she had likely been in the building after hours with Rasputin. "I'll be back later."

"Have a nice time," Himiko said. "If you're back after the lights are out, you should use the side door. It will probably be open just an inch for you." With a tiny smile, she turned and walked toward her room, leaving Mary glad that she understood where she was going even if she hadn't called attention to it.

True to his word, Ikkyu was still sitting on the steps when she came back. He got up as soon as he saw her coming and met her on the walkway.

"You look nice," he said right away. "Not that you don't always look nice, I mean, but you look really pretty now. I feel kinda like I should have worn something else." He glanced down at his outfit and Mary shook her head.

"Not if we're just walking."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ikkyu pointed toward the woods. "It's this way, if you want to follow me." Mary nodded and they started walking. "So, uh, did you finish all the reading for Sociology? I've got one last chapter to go."

"I finished it earlier," Mary replied. "Then I guess you haven't written the paper?"

"Nah. I'll probably do that during lunch tomorrow or something." He stepped off the sidewalk and onto a dirt path. "You don't mind hiking a little, do you?"

"Of course not." Mary reached over and slipped her hand into his. Ikkyu continued to look determinedly forward but when she glanced up at him she saw that he was blushing again. They walked hand in hand without saying a word toward the trees and she smiled. It felt good to be with him, and their silence was a comfortable one. For a moment she had the feeling they'd known one another long before they'd ever met. "Where are we going?"

"The place where I meditate outside," he answered, glancing back at her with a smile. "It's out here in the woods so no one bugs me."

Mary was speechless. He was bringing her to the place he came to get away from other people, somewhere he considered private. Even after she'd embarrassed him in front of his friends, he still wanted her to go there with him. They walked together until they reached a clearing in the trees that looked straight up into the heavens.

"Here we are," he said, dropping her hand and stretching out his arms. "This is where I come to sit outside and consider the mysteries of life, the universe and, well, _everything_." Ikkyu looked at Mary anxiously, as if waiting to hear what she thought of it.

"It's wonderful," she said with a smile. "I wish I had a place like this. And you come out here to meditate. Is it hard?"

"Not really. I mean, the hardest part is putting everything out of your mind but all you really have to do is practice."

"Putting everything out of your mind," Mary mused. "I think I'd be terrible at it. I've never been able to have a minute during my life when I wasn't thinking of something."

"You just have to practice," Ikkyu said with a shrug. "No one's good at something the first time they do it. The more you do it, the better you'll be at it. It's the same with writing, I'm sure. Besides," he added, "When something really interesting is on my mind I have a hard time clearing it of thought too. You just have to accept it. Think of it as counting. You can count from one to ten over and over, and you're going to get lost eventually because thoughts naturally come up and you make associations. All you do is accept them, let them go, and start back at one."

"I'm going to be counting a lot of ones," Mary said, looking first at the ground, then up at the stars. "What do you mean by interesting?"

"Like if there's a new album I'm really looking forward to hearing," he said. "Or if there's a really pretty girl near me." Mary blushed at the sound of this, suddenly too nervous to look at him. There was a soft rustling of grass as he came over to where she was standing. "I like you, Mary," he said, his voice so low it was almost lost in the wind. "I really like you."

"That's good," Mary replied, smiling up into his deep brown eyes. "Because I really like you too, Ikkyu. I have for a long time."

"Then it's a good thing I stopped being so stupid about it," Ikkyu said. He took her hands in his and grinned. "Sorry it took me so long." Under the stars, standing with her hands in his, Ikkyu leaned down and kissed her gently. Mary could taste jasmine on his breath from the tea he had been drinking, and the clean smell of the soap he had used to wash his face. She collected all this in her mind for later, for writing and for replaying in her head before she went to sleep, when she would no doubt try to recreate the feeling of his lips on hers in her mind.

"Ikkyu," she said when he finally pulled away, her head spinning, "I, um-"

"Will you come hang out with us tomorrow after class? For real this time? I promise I won't let any of the guys tease you or anything." Ikkyu laced his fingers through hers and Mary nodded. "Great," he said, beaming at her. "I want to spend more time with you."

"I want to spend time with you too," Mary said, squeezing his hands. "I have to go help Amadeus first, though, for about an hour. We have a performance coming up next Sunday and he wants everything to be absolutely perfect."

"What kind of performance? Piano?"

"Yes," she said with a smile. "Amadeus is trying to write a sonata for four hands and he's decided that doing a performance of his original's four hand sonata would help somehow. Unfortunately for him, he only has two hands of his own. Unfortunately for _me,_ I have two hands that he's been grooming since I was a kid." She pulled her hands out of his and held them up, then shrugged. "I don't mind. It keeps him from bullying some other clone."

"But you'll come by afterward?"

"Yes," Mary said, hugging him so tightly that the scar on her left side ached. Ikkyu put his arms around her and she smiled. "I promise."


	7. Four Hands

Sunday mornings were usually quiet at St. Kleio. Most of the students took advantage of their limited free time on the weekends rather than the weekdays, and a fair number of them did so by sleeping in as long as possible. For once Ikkyu wasn't included in their number, which was why he heard the door open and close at the far end of the hall in the first place.

He was sitting on his bed, leaning back against the shelf and reading one of his original's texts when he saw Mozart walk past his room with a black bag draped over his arm. He was dressed casually in a sleeveless turtleneck sweater and slacks with his leather boots and looked as if his mind was on another planet entirely. Ikkyu wondered where he could be headed, then remembered Mary saying something about being nervous about a performance on Sunday.

In the week and a half since their walk in the woods, Mary and Ikkyu had been as close to inseparable as it was possible to be at St. Kleio. Though it wasn't prohibited outright, it was an unspoken rule that the students weren't allowed to date one another, and one that they tended to respect only to the point that they didn't walk hand in hand through the corridors or otherwise advertise their relationships. Mary continued to rehearse with Mozart, joined Susan, Amelia and Helen for their political discussions twice a week, and spent every other free moment with Ikkyu. Sometimes – often, in fact – they sat in the library or out on the lawn together, each doing their own work, happy just to be near one another.

_That must be what she was talking about_, he thought, leaning his head back against the wall. _They didn't even tell the students about it, so it's probably just for the sponsors and board. I'd like to see her play, though._ He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Mary sitting at the piano. It was harder than he expected and he sat up, an idea forming in his head. He dropped his book, ran down the hall and banged on Napoleon's door. It took a few minutes but eventually a sandy, tousled head popped out with eyes half-closed.

"What's up?"

"Get dressed," Ikkyu said with a grin. "We're going on a field trip."

"Huh?"

"I'll go tell Freud and Shiro too." He hurried off across the hall to Freud's room, leaving Napoleon looking confused and sleepy.

"What just happened?"

While Ikkyu was disturbing the sleep of his classmates, Mary waited patiently on the bench outside the girls' dorm and stared at her hands. She supposed she could have been studying her music but for some reason she felt as if doing so would keep her from playing properly. It was almost all stored in her head and looking at the sheet music would only make her doubt herself. A shadow fell across her lap and she glanced up to see Mozart standing in front of her.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," Mary said, her stomach suddenly hard and icy. They walked together from the dorms in silence, each carrying a clothing bag over their arm. Mary looked at hers nervously. "It's a good thing we already had our costumes done for the Expo. One less thing to worry about."

"Yes," Mozart said. "It's going to look rather silly though. When it's just me at the piano, Baroque fashion looks appropriate. That plain thing of yours is going to look out of place." He nodded at the bag and Mary shrugged.

"Blame my original."

"Hmph. I don't understand how she could possibly have so many men vying for her affection when she wore things like that." They approached the building and Mary patted her costume gently. "Though she did have a husband. That didn't stop her though, did it?"

"Pfft, you're one to talk," Mary said, rolling her eyes. "And just how many women did _your _original have again?"

"Yes, but you can't deny that mine also had a great deal of style." Mozart pushed the door to the auditorium open for her and she resisted the urge to hit him with her bag. His piano instructor was waiting for them in front of the stage.

"Good morning, Mozart, Mary Shelley. The audience will arrive in a little over an hour. I trust that you'll be ready to perform at that time."

"Of course," Mozart said with a sanctimonious nod, then turned to Mary. "Come along, Mary. We can use the piano in the back to warm up a bit after we get dressed." She followed him around to the stage door and back through the dressing rooms.

Mary, being the clone of a writer, had done most of her presentations for the school Expositions in the classrooms or library. It was the first time she'd been on stage for anything other than a quick award and she was fascinated by everything from the set pieces that were pushed against the wall to the dressing room itself, with its mirror and small shower in the corner. She hung up her black garment bag and unzipped it, taking out her costume so it could breathe. Stuck in the bottom was a small makeup kit and she set it on the dressing table.

It didn't take her long to get ready; the dress was straightforward and her makeup was simple. Her hair took the longest to deal with, because she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with it. Her original hadn't ever done much with her hair and Mary thought privately that it had been awful. Still, she wanted to be historically accurate. At the same time, she wanted to look nice. After debating for almost ten minutes, taking her hair down and putting it back up, she went with a simple twist on the back of her head and a few strands artfully free around her face. Once she'd finally figured it out, she went out into the main backstage area to find Mozart looking annoyed.

"Sorry," she said. "I had trouble with my hair."

"I'm sure you did the best you could," he said, flicking his eyes from her costume to her hair. Mozart was wearing an extremely detailed Baroque costume, replete with heavily embroidered waistcoat and silk breeches. The only thing he refused to wear was a powdered wig, instead tying his long blonde hair back with a ribbon that matched his waistcoat. "Shall we warm up a bit before the audience arrives?"

"Sure." Mary followed him to the piano that was in the wings. It was usually used to provide background accompaniment for plays and shows, but it would do for their purposes. Mary sat beside him on the bench and he opened the keyboard.

"Let's just play a little of the Allegretto to start," he said. "Or perhaps you'd like to try something different?"

"What about that one thing? The modern piece?"

"Oh, Mary, come on."

"It's just a warm up, you said it yourself." Within moments they were arguing again and the piano instructor, standing at the edge of the stage, rubbed his temples. This was exactly why he hated working with kids.

"Come on," Ikkyu said, dragging Napoleon toward the auditorium. Behind them, Shiro and Freud walked at a leisurely pace. Even though it was Sunday, they were all wearing their uniforms. Ikkyu had insisted on it, hoping that it would help their case if someone came to tell them to get out of the auditorium.

"Why are we doing this again?" Napoleon was doing his best to drag his feet and Ikkyu kept a firm hold on him, knowing he would disappear if he got the chance. "I hate this kind of music. _You_ hate this kind of music. The only person who likes this boring stuff is Freud."

"Pardon me?"

"Because we're supporting Mary," Ikkyu said, ignoring Freud's offended tone. "The rest of the people there are going to be stuffy politicians and businessmen who've come to see Mozart play. Besides, it could be interesting."

"Interesting, yeah," Napoleon said with a yawn. "I'm sure it'll be great." They were almost at the auditorium by this point and Napoleon nodded down the hall at a black-suited figure that was walking toward them. As soon as he saw them, he quickened his step and his face became even more serious than usual. "Uh-oh. I think we're busted."

"What are you boys doing here?" Kuroe stood in front of the foursome, blocking their way into the auditorium doors. He frowned at them and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but students aren't allowed in this performance. I'm sure there'll be one soon you can watch."

"Now, Kuroe," said Dr. Kamiya, coming up from behind Freud and Shiro. "There's no need to be so strict. After all, they're wearing their uniforms and look perfectly presentable. So long as they stand at the back and keep quiet, it should be fine."

"Thanks, Dad!" Shiro grinned at his father, who gave him the barest of a half-smile.

"Let's go inside," he said instead of a reply. "They should be coming onto stage soon." He opened the door and motioned for the boys to go inside, ignoring the look of irritation Kuroe was shooting him.

The auditorium was only half-full, which Ikkyu supposed was about right for a private performance, and there was a rustling of conversation from the people in the seats. Expensive suits for both the men and women were the order of the day and they were holding what looked like paper programs for the performance. Ikkyu thought about asking for one but knew he was already pushing it, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead he focused on the stage, where a large piano was front and center.

It looked larger than the piano in the conservatory and Ikkyu, having no knowledge of piano types, wasn't sure if it was a different type or just a different size. He supposed he could ask Mary later once the concert was over.

"She seems to be doing very well," Dr. Kamiya said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Ikkyu looked over at him and realized that he was talking to Kuroe, who had folded his arms across his chest. "I'm looking forward to hearing her play."

"I'm surprised they still let her do it," Kuroe said. "I would have thought they'd say it interferes with her writing or something like that."

"No, it's a good outlet for her. And it's historically been something she can do without overexerting herself. Not to mention there are records of her original playing the piano for relaxation." Dr. Kamiya glanced over at the boys, then back at Kuroe as if they weren't worth engaging. "They tell me she's quite good."

"I'm sure she is. She's been playing since she was eight."

This was interesting to Ikkyu. He hadn't known that Mary had been playing the piano so long. She'd said that Mozart had been teaching her since she was a kid but he hadn't expected that to mean nearly ten years.

_I'll have to ask her afterward,_ he thought. _I'm sure she's great._

Backstage, Mary was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself. For all the years she'd been playing, this was the first time she would ever perform in front of anyone besides Mozart or the few students who passed by the conservatory while she was in there. In contrast, Mozart was leaning on the wall looking bored.

"Will you just relax? You're making me dizzy."

"I'm not used to this," Mary said irritably, shooting him a dirty look. "And it's not like I'm worried I don't know my half of the music. I'm more afraid my hands are going to be in the way of yours, or I'm going to try to use the pedals."

"We've gone over this music at least a hundred times," Mozart said, picking at a loose thread on his jacket. "You've only gotten in my way once, and that was at the beginning. If you're looking for some sort of reassurance, then yes, I'm sure you'll do fine. Just concentrate on the music and make sure you play with your whole being. The worst thing you could do is play without emotion."

"Thanks, Amadeus." She went over to where he was standing and pecked him on the cheek. He pursed his lips at her and gave a sigh of exasperation.

"You're lucky I like you."

"Mozart, Miss Shelley, we're ready for you." The music director stuck his head behind the curtain and the two teenagers nodded in unison. They gave each other a last look of resolve and headed for the stage while the director stepped up to the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. We have a real treat for you today, a performance of Mozart's Sonatas for Four Hands by Clone Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Clone Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley."

They crossed the stage together, Mozart with his head bowed and Mary clutching the side of her dress to try and keep her hands from sweating. Applause rang out through the auditorium and they walked around the side of the grand piano to take a seat on the bench. Mozart was on the left, closer to the audience, while Mary was on his right. He arranged the sheet music on the stand, even though neither of them needed it, and from a distance Mary could hear the music director still addressing the audience. Nervous now, she glanced out toward the people in their seats but her face broke into a smile immediately when she looked at the back of the auditorium.

Standing against the back wall in their uniforms were Ikkyu, Napoleon, Freud and Shiro. Kuroe was nearby to keep them on their best behavior, and Mary wondered how they'd gotten in. The performance wasn't supposed to be for the students or the general public.

When Ikkyu saw her looking out at him, he abandoned any attempt at decorum and waved at her, his hand over his head. He looked as if he was about to call out to her and Mary grinned as Napoleon elbowed him.

Mozart put his fingers on the keys and Mary did the same. As they had rehearsed, they took a breath together and on the exhalation began to play. Naturally, his fingers moved much faster than hers. She was there to provide support by playing the complimentary, less complicated portion of the piece and concentrated on that alone. This, of course, didn't mean her part was insignificant, just less complex. Together, they wove the music that was a natural progression from what his original had written hundreds of years previously and she knew that even now his mind was rewriting, revising and refining the notes.

Just as always, she was lost in the music within moments. The emotion Mozart always lectured her about came naturally and the notes flowed from her fingers as easily as his, making her wonder why she had been nervous at all. Before she knew it the first movement was over and they were heading into the second.

At the back of the auditorium, Ikkyu watched Mary with fascination. It was true he didn't much care for classical music but this was different. It was fast and complex, far from the strings and harpsichord he imagined when anyone mentioned Baroque. He was impressed with how fast her fingers moved, and how smoothly.

"She's really good," Shiro said, leaning over to whisper to Ikkyu. "This music's cool, too."

"Shh," Kuroe said menacingly, narrowing his eyes. "Don't make me tell you twice."

"Yes sir," Shiro said, ducking his head. As soon as Kuroe's attention was back on the stage, they grinned at each other.

All too quickly the concert was over and Mary and Mozart were standing up from their bench. The music director came out and held a hand out as he repeated their names to the crowd, who were applauding the performance.

Mozart bowed deeply, then nudged Mary to do the same. Once she had, he took her hand and held it up to even louder applause, then they both bowed. When she looked up again, she could see Ikkyu and Shiro clapping vigorously at the back while Napoleon and Freud did the same more sedately. Mary grinned and raised a hand to wave at them before she and Mozart left the stage together.

"That was magnificent," the music director said when he joined them. "Both of you were in top form today."

"Of course," Mozart said. "I believe I've learned a great deal toward writing my own piece. I trust you won't have a problem with Mary accompanying me next time as well."

"Not at all." He turned to Mary. "Excellent job out there, Miss Shelley. You're quite talented in your own right."

"Thank you," Mary said with a small smile. His compliment to her finished, the director spoke again to Mozart and Mary went over to the dressing table to pick up the clothes she had been wearing when they arrived. She didn't much feel like going through the trouble of undressing so she put them in the bottom of the dress bag she had brought with her makeup and touched Mozart's arm. "I'm going back to my room, Amadeus. See you later."

"Yes, I'll see you." He went back to talking about his music and she left, knowing there was no point in trying to talk to him when composing was on his mind.

As for Ikkyu and the friends he had dragged along, when he turned to ask them what they'd thought of the performance, the other three had disappeared. Ikkyu had sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets, then gone to the front of the auditorium and sat in one of the front row seats to wait for her to come out. He'd barely dropped into the seat when the stage door opened and she came out.

"Oh!" Mary's look of surprise turned almost immediately to one of delight. "Ikkyu! I didn't expect you to be out here."

"I thought I'd wait for you," he said, getting back up and holding out his arms. "I'll carry that stuff for you."

"Thanks." Mary handed him the bag and they started out of the auditorium together. "I was so surprised when I saw you guys back there," she said with a grin. "How did you get in?"

"To be honest, we were just sort of planning to sneak in once the show started but when we were on our way we ran into Dr. Kamiya and Mr. Kuroe. I thought for sure we were gonna get sent back to our dorm but the doctor said we could go in." He tugged at his collar. "I think the uniforms helped."

"So what did you think?" Mary looked up at him, her heart pounding in a different way than was usual for her when she was with Ikkyu. He beamed at her.

"It was great! I'm not real big on classical music or anything but it was cool. How did you manage to play with four hands on one piano? Don't you run into each other?"

"Once or twice, but only in the beginning. We could have had them bring in two pianos but Amadeus prefers the visual effect of two people on one keyboard." She sighed. "And it really was his show. I was just there as accompaniment."

"You still did great." He draped the bag over his arm. "I wouldn't know one key from another. Nice dress, by the way," Ikkyu said, looking at her costume.

"You think so?" Mary looked down at her black dress. "Amadeus can't stop telling me how boring it is," she said, shrugging. "But my original wasn't a fashion model. In fact, from all the paintings I've seen of her, she looked about as interested in dresses as I am. And I'm not really into costuming. I just drag the same thing out of the closet once a year for the Exposition and make a few adjustments so it fits."

"Me too. Luckily, all I have to do is throw on some robes, dig my staff out of the closet and I'm good." He shifted her costume bag to his other arm and held the door open for her. "I was thinking of shaving my head for this year's Expo."

"Really?" Mary's eyes widened as she looked up at him. "Why?"

"I don't know, just seemed like an Ikkyu thing to do."

"I can't imagine you with no hair," she said incredulously. She stood on her tiptoes and ran her hand over his already-short hair with a grin. He bent down slightly to accommodate her strange gesture. "Your head's not a weird shape or anything, is it?"

"Huh?" This thought had never occurred to Ikkyu and he stood up straight again. "Oh man, I don't know. What happens if it is?"

"Just wait for your hair to grow back, I guess." With a concerned look, Ikkyu was rubbing the top of his head as if he was trying to tell its shape and Mary reached up and grabbed his hand so she could tug him down the hall. "I'm sure your skull is very nicely shaped. And if it's not, I'll get you a hat to wear for a month or two."

Groaning, Ikkyu pulled her into the nearest empty classroom and she giggled. Putting her arms around his neck, she laced her hands together. Ikkyu smiled down at her affectionately then kissed her. Mary responded in kind and they stood there for a long moment, seeing nothing but one another. One of the hands he had complimented loosed itself from the other and rested lightly on the back of his head, settling in the short, spiky mess. Ikkyu's arms tightened around her waist and he pulled her closer.

"I'm so lucky," he said. "Having such a talented girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Mary blinked at him. "Since when are we a couple?"

"You don't want to be?" Ikkyu looked at her, disappointed, and she grinned.

"Of course I do! I just didn't expect you to say it like that," said Mary. She blushed deeply. "I-I would love to be your girlfriend."

"Great! So that's that." He let go of her and pointed to the door. "C'mon, I'll take you back to your dorm so you can get changed, then we can go grab some lunch." Mary nodded her agreement and Ikkyu offered her his arm. She took it like a 19th century lady might, holding her head up in the way she imagined her original would. As soon as they got outside, however, she let go so that no one would see them. Couple though they might be, it wasn't something they could flaunt.

"What's that? It looks like it hurts." Florence Nightingale stopped Mary on her way out of the bathroom that evening, pointing to the thin incision near her armpit. A shiny film had been plastered over it to protect it and Mary pointed at it.

"It's my pacemaker," Mary said with a smile. "They put it in here and the wire goes up to my heart, gives it little shocks to make sure it keeps going." She grinned and displayed her best Rosie the Riveter pose. "I'm bionic!"

Elizabeth and Florence exchanged a look while Mary continued to smile brightly, then they shrugged at one another.

"The perfect couple," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.

"Yes," Florence agreed. "Made for each other."

"What are you talking about?" Mary pulled on her pants and picked up her hairbrush. She brushed her long, wavy hair, then worked it into a braid while the other two girls exchanged looks again. "Are you going to let me in on the joke?"

"It's no joke," Florence said cheerfully. "It's just that you and Ikkyu are perfect for each other." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're a couple now, right?"

"Um," Mary said, turning her attention to the floor while she fastened the end of her braid. She wasn't sure how to respond; if Ikkyu wanted to tell them all at the same time, she didn't want to spoil his fun. After all, they were his friends. "Maybe?"

"They're a couple," Elizabeth said with a sigh. "I don't even know why we bothered asking straight out, I'm sure he's giving Napoleon the same line. All you have to do is look at them." She gave Mary a stern look. "I mean, did you see them eating outside together today? High school romance," she said, shaking her head. "Like a couple of teenagers."

"We are a couple of teenagers," Mary said.

"Come on," Florence said with a smile, gathering her shawl around her shoulders. "Come down to Elizabeth's room, we're going to have some ice cream."

"Um, okay, sure." Mary glanced around her room, then took the sweatshirt Ikkyu had put on her when they were sitting outside. She tugged it on and zipped it partway, then blinked when she saw the other two girls smirking at her. "Now what?"

"That's so cute!" Florence giggled. "He let you use his sweatshirt!"

"It's not like that, I borrowed it a while back when we were talking outside and I just haven't given it back!"

They giggled and teased her all the way down to Elizabeth's room, where the three of them sat on the bed and passed around little cups of ice cream. Marie Curie joined them a little while later and they scooted aside for her. Mary felt a little strange being treated like one of the girls. She had never had much interaction with the other clones apart from Mozart, and since he spent most of his time cultivating his terrible attitude most everyone else stayed out of his way and by association, hers.

"It's true," Marie Curie said. "It's so obvious how much he likes you. Whenever you talk in class, he can't stop looking at you."

"I-I really don't think that's the case," Mary said, fiddling with the lid of her ice cream. "You probably just caught him in an off moment or something."

"It's not just that," said Florence. "Our Literature professor was talking about themes of immortality in literature and he immediately raised his hand and said 'like in _Frankenstein_.' Then she said something else and he brought up _The Last Man, _another of your original's works. And the teacher said 'if you're so interested in Mary Shelley's works, maybe you should talk to her for homework." Florence giggled. "He got all red."

"That's just because we were talking about _Frankenstein_ the other day," Mary said with a shrug. "It was probably still on his mind."

"That's not all that's on his mind," Marie Curie said. "You know how boys are, Mary, they don't have the ability to focus on more than one thing at a time."

"Just face it," Elizabeth said. "He's totally crazy about you. Which is a good thing, considering the fact that the boys we hang around with are about as mature as a bunch of puppies. You so much as mention romance or marriage around Napoleon and he acts like he's about twelve."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Marie Curie said cheerily. "I know they say stuff like 'focus on your studies' and 'there's no need for any of that fraternizing,' but I think it's sweet. And he's a nice guy." She pressed her spoon to her lips. "Hmm, I wonder what happens when we graduate? I bet you two could stay together."

"That's awfully far in the future," Mary said, trying not to think of how nice it would be to be together without having to hide. "Besides, all sorts of things could happen by that time."

"But your original was incredibly loyal to her husband, wasn't she?" Elizabeth clasped her hands together. "It was so beautiful the way Mary and Percy Shelley gave up everything for love," she said with a sigh. "Unconditional love. You have that spirit in your heart too, don't you?"

"Probably?"

"You see? Oh, I just know you two will be together even after you graduate. Maybe you'll even get married!"

"Okay, this is getting way out of hand," Mary said, holding up a hand. To herself she was cheering, her mind going wild. "Can't we talk about something else?"

"Of course not," said Marie Curie. "We so rarely get to talk like this with one another, about boys and dating, it's terribly interesting when we get a chance." She patted Mary on the shoulder. "Anyway, we look forward to spending more time with you. I assume you'll be hanging around us more now that you're officially going out?"

"I-I suppose so?"

"I'm so excited!"

"You seem preoccupied," Freud said, pulling his legs up on Ikkyu's bed with a smirk. "Would this have anything to do with your outburst in class today?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Ikkyu groaned, laying his forehead against the desk. "Thank God Mary wasn't in class, I might have just killed myself."

"Oh, come now. If she had been in class, you likely wouldn't have said anything at all. You would have been staring at her with that blank look you get on your face lately. Which is, incidentally, a different blank look than you usually have in class." Ikkyu turned his head to face Freud so that his cheek was pressed against the book beneath it and gave him a pained look. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. We're adolescents. Our hormones are raging and therefore we have a fundamental inability to concentrate on broad tasks when the object of our interest is nearby. You just seem to have an inability to function when yours is present."

"Great."

"If you think about it, it's actually in character for you to be preoccupied with a girl. Wasn't your original known for frequenting teahouses in his monk's robes and enjoying the company of women?" Freud looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Though by that token you should probably be fascinated with numerous girls. But there are fundamental differences in your personalities due to the influences exerted by your upbringing-"

"Freud, what are you talking about?"

"Hey, you two." Napoleon pushed open the door just as Ikkyu rolled his head back forward onto the books in an attempt to suffocate himself. "Oh come on, the homework's not that hard."

"The Great Master is just despairing of life as usual."

"Oh, about class? Yeah, that was pretty good." Ikkyu groaned loudly in response and Napoleon folded his arms over his chest. "Ha ha, you should have seen your face! You thought you were being so cool but you were so obvious, man." Ikkyu started banging his head lightly on the desk. "Aw, come on, don't do that. I bet she'd think it was cute."

"You can't ever tell Mary about this," Ikkyu said, sitting straight up in his chair. "It's bad enough the entire class got to hear me make a fool of myself."

"It's normal for a guy to be crazy about his girlfriend," Napoleon said with a shrug. "I'd think it was weirder if she wasn't on your mind all the time. But you've gotta try and keep it under the radar."

"How did you know she's my girlfriend?"

"What, wasn't I supposed to?"

"I've gotta step outside," Ikkyu said, standing up and grabbing his hoodie. "I'm never gonna get anything done while I'm in here." He went for the door, trying to ignore Freud and Napoleon following close behind him.

"Don't you mean you've gotta go over to the girls' dorm?"

"How exactly do you plan to attract her attention?"

"The rock against the window thing is so played out."

"I wouldn't advise sneaking in."

"Arghh! Just leave me alone, okay?" Ducking his head as if they were throwing things at him, Ikkyu fled into the night and started running for the girls' dorm. When he was far enough from his own dorm to escape their catcalls, he slowed down and sighed. He really didn't have any idea how he was going to get her attention. He supposed he could just knock on a window and hope it was hers.

Once he reached the girls' dorm he stood looking up at the windows and trying to decide which looked like the most likely choice. With no clues to go by, he crept up to the closest one and knocked on it lightly. A shape came over to the window and opened it. Much to his dismay, it was Himiko.

"Yes?"

"Uh, hi," he said brightly. "I was just, uh, I was out for a walk and I thought that I'd, uh..."

"I'm afraid Mary Shelley's room is on the second floor," Himiko said placidly.

"Oh." _Was I that obvious?_

"Shall I fetch her for you?"

"Could you?"

"Of course. Please wait by the back door." Himiko's window closed and she disappeared, leaving Ikkyu to walk to the back side of the dorm and wait. The wind blew through the trees and he rubbed his arms vigorously, wondering if the wind was coming in off the river. While he was thinking about this, the back door opened slowly and Mary peered cautiously out.

"Ikkyu, what's wrong?" Mary yawned widely and Ikkyu shook his head.

"Nothing. I just really wanted to see you. You know, before you heard about my stupidness in class from someone else," he said. He didn't go into detail, just in case she hadn't heard. Unfortunately, the smile she gave him clearly said that his hopes were in vain.

"Oh, Elizabeth and Florence told me already."

"That's it. I'm just going to end it all."

"Don't be so dramatic," Mary said. "I thought it was cute." She took his hand and laced her fingers through his. "If you want we could sit out here for a little while and, um, do your homework," she said with a giggle. Ikkyu put his free hand over his face. "I'm kidding, kidding."

"I'm just going to go ahead and die."

"Don't die," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to sit on the steps. "It would be a terrible loss for the world." She sighed and stretched out her legs. "Oh, who am I kidding? My motivation is completely selfish."

"Most human behavior is." As soon as he said this, Ikkyu groaned. "Oh man, am I channeling Freud tonight or something?"

"Not necessarily. Isn't the discussion of human behavior something that Buddhists do too?" Mary put her head on his shoulder and sighed as she looked up at the sky. "Do you think we'll see each other again? After we graduate?"

"What?" Ikkyu sat up and looked at her. "Why ask about that now? We've got a long time until we graduate."

"I don't know. I just-" She sighed and hugged his arm, leaning against him. She didn't want to tell him that she and the other girls had been talking about him. "Do you know how long I've liked you, Ikkyu?" He shook his head and she smiled. "You didn't even wear glasses then, and your hair was always in your face."

"Are you serious? That long?" Ikkyu looked at her, shocked. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I was afraid you'd tell me you didn't like me."

"I didn't even know you. But from the moment I visited you in the hospital I knew you were someone I could hang out with. Even if I hadn't wanted to go out with you, we could have at least been friends. You could have at least gone out with some other guy." He shook his head and put his arm around her. "But I kind of think that if you had talked to me back then it probably would have ended up this same way."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Ikkyu leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Want to walk out to the woods?"

"Sure," Mary said. Ikkyu stood up and offered his hand. Mary took it and he helped her up, but didn't let go of her hand. They walked together briskly to the woods, careful not to let anyone see them together. Mary was glad that Himiko was the one whose window he had knocked on because she understood the need for discretion.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?" Ikkyu glanced back at her and she squeezed his hand. "What's up?"

"We...we _will_ see each other after graduation, right?"

"Of course," Ikkyu said with a grin. "As long as there are planes and trains, we'll still be together at least some of the time." This outlook didn't make Mary terribly happy and he knew it as soon as he said it. "Come on, you know we're gonna be on different continents."

"Probably." An image of Ikkyu in front of a lavish temple came to mind, followed by an image of herself standing by the window of a castle in England. She held his hand tighter. "Definitely."

"Don't worry so much," he said with his usual good cheer. "Things'll work out. There's no sense in worrying about the future. We have to live in this moment, you know? Otherwise we'll miss out on stuff like that." He pointed at the sky with his free hand and Mary looked up to see a bright reddish dot. "Check it out. I think that's Mars."

"I think you're right." She followed his finger as he pointed out other stars and found herself smiling. _You're right about a lot of things._


	8. The Coming Storm

Time passed strangely and slowly at St. Kleio, except when the Exposition was on its way. Then it seemed that there wasn't enough time in the day. Mary could scarcely believe it when the teachers reminded them how close it had gotten and realized that it had been almost a month since Dr. Kamiya had put in her pacemaker.

"That's all for today," the professor said, turning away from the wipeboard. "I trust that none of you need reminding that the Exposition is in three weeks," he said as the students started getting up from their seats. "You all have the opportunity to show the world just what clones are capable of and I hope that you take it seriously."

"Yeah, yeah," Ikkyu said, rolling his eyes. He leaned on Mary's desk, where she was shuffling through her notebooks. "Like every single teacher doesn't give us this talk every year. What're you looking for?"

"I thought I brought the one with my presentation notes," she said, frowning. Then she groaned and fell back against her chair. "Oh, no. This means I've been writing my speech in my History notebook." Ikkyu picked up one of the notebooks she had been going through.

"So just take the pages out."

"I can't. I mean, I _can _and I probably will, but only after I copy everything back into the right notebook. Oh, _why_ can't they just let me use my computer during class?" She sat back up straight and sighed, and Ikkyu handed her back the notebook.

"Come on, let's get some lunch."

"All right." Mary gathered her notebooks and got up, then went with Ikkyu to join the rest of their group. They walked toward the cafeteria and Marie Curie sighed deeply. "What's the matter?"

"I'm trying to teach myself piano but it's just not coming as easily as I hoped." She hugged her books to her chest. Ikkyu leaned between them.

"Hey, why don't you ask Mary to help you? She's really great, isn't she guys?" He looked at Freud, Napoleon, and Shiro. Shiro nodded vigorously.

"Yeah! She played with Mozart a couple of weeks ago and she was awesome!" He smiled at Mary. "You could totally do it, Mary, it'd be great."

"Oh I-I don't know," Mary blushed and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not really good enough to teach anyone. Maybe you should ask Mozart." Privately Mary thought that it would be a long shot for Mozart to agree to associate with anyone but it was worth a shot.

"I've been asking him," Marie said with a shake of her head. "He's showed me a few things but he's usually so busy."

"He's working hard on a new composition for the Expo," Mary said. "I've hardly seen him myself." As if on cue, Mozart came around the corner reading some papers. She put a hand on Ikkyu's arm. "I'm going to have lunch with him."

"Oh. Okay." She waved at the group on the way over to Mozart and Ikkyu called out to her. "I'll see you after class, okay?" Mary nodded and smiled at him, then hurried over to Mozart.

"Amadeus!"

"Hm?" He looked up and gave Mary part of a smile. "Oh, Mary. Glad to see you're still at St. Kleio. For a while there I thought you might have graduated."

"Give it a rest, Amadeus. Where are you headed?"

"Conservatory. I need to try out this new movement, it doesn't seem quite right." He nodded to the papers in his hand. "I may need to scrap the entire thing."

"You aren't going to have lunch?" Mary looked at him a little more closely. "You look like you've lost some weight. Have you been eating properly?" Mozart gave her a look that clearly said she should leave him alone but she had known him too long. "Come on, we can get some sandwiches and eat in the conservatory."

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat." She reached down and grabbed Mozart's arm, then dragged him toward the cafeteria. "We'll take some food with us and I'll help you try to figure out what's going on with the new piece. Don't you have your lesson after lunch today?"

"Yes. And I'd like to get as much work done on this piece before then as possible." He looked down the hall to where Ikkyu was laughing about something with Napoleon. "Why don't you go have lunch with your little friends? I'm sure if you're quick you can still catch them."

"Don't be that way," Mary sighed, not letting go of Mozart's arm. "You're the one who's been acting strangely. I haven't seen you in days."

"I've been working," Mozart said, jerking his arm away from her. "And I need to get back to it. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the conservatory." He turned and went down the hall in the opposite direction of the cafeteria, leaving Mary standing in the hall alone.

"Rrgh!" Mary threw up her hands and the clones walking on either side of the hallway stopped to look at her. Then she ran in the direction of Mozart and the conservatory. She'd worry about getting lunch for herself later.

After class, Ikkyu and Mary met as planned and Ikkyu noticed immediately that she wasn't happy. Napoleon joined them, looking around at the halls.

"What do you say to some pool? We still need to teach Mary so she can decide whether she likes it or not." Mary hesitated and Ikkyu shrugged.

"We'll catch up with you," he said. Napoleon shrugged.

"Fine by me. Shiro's been looking forward to testing out his skills on me. Where are _you _two headed?" He grinned at them knowingly and Mary looked up at Ikkyu curiously, as she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Y'know, just around." He grabbed Mary's hand and pulled her down the hall with a wave at Napoleon. Afraid someone would see them, she took her hand back and followed him. Ikkyu laughed nervously. "Oh, yeah, right. Sorry about that."

They walked together to the stairs and Mary followed Ikkyu, her curiosity growing with every step they took. She wanted to ask him what he was up to but part of her was wondering if she should join him in the lounge. Since they were walking together now, she could return to the conservatory later and check in on Mozart.

"So what's up with Mozart?" It was as if she'd said it out loud and Mary sighed heavily.

"He won't tell me. I spent lunch with him in the conservatory but all he did was play the same few bars over and over, saying they were all wrong. I offered to play with him for a little while – the piece he wrote for four hands – but he told me I was getting in his way." She shook her head. "Something's wrong and I just don't know what."

"He'll probably tell you when he's ready," said Ikkyu with a shrug. "You shouldn't try to force him."

"Believe me, I know. And as for him telling me, it's a lost cause. When Amadeus doesn't want to talk about something, you're more likely to get one of the school horses to talk." She looked up at the ceiling. "I just hope he's all right for the Expo." They had come to the end of the stairs and Mary looked back at where they'd come from.

"Oh, man, don't remind me about the Expo," Ikkyu said, opening the door that led to the roof. "I've still got so much stuff to do for it. I hope my robes still fit. Last year I'd grown and I had to rush to get new ones."

"Well, we'll see if you've grown again," Mary said with a smile. "Physical exams are next week. That should give you plenty of time to get new robes if you need to. What are you going to present this year?" Mary walked with Ikkyu out onto the roof and he grinned.

"Probably just the usual to begin with, but I've got a great finale planned. I can't tell you too much about it, but let's just say it's gonna be hilarious. I hope you get to watch it; I don't know what time your presentation is." He turned to Mary. "You?"

"I'll probably talk a little about our Wollstonecraft Society's political stuff, but for the most part I'll just present material from my new work."

"It's so cool that they named it after your original's mom."

"Well, she was a big feminist writer. And Susan wanted to call it something that wasn't named after a clone, but Helen wanted it to be proper. Wollstonecraft Society sounds kind of fancy, so they loved it." She grinned up at him. "Are you still going to shave your head?"

"I dunno. You kind of freaked me out about it," admitted Ikkyu. "Now all I can think about is shaving my head and having it be some weird shape or finding out I have a huge dent in it or something and having to walk around like that for the next couple of months while it grows back." He considered it while he rubbed his hand over his hair. "Hmm. Maybe I could just wear one of those wigs."

"That would be weird," she said thoughtfully, then laughed. "But if you shaved your head _and _took off your glasses I bet you'd look like you were about ten years old."

"Oh, great," Ikkyu groaned. "Just what I need."

"I'm thinking of changing my dress a little," Mary said, leaning on the stone railing.

"Oh yeah? I thought you were gonna wear your old one."

"I was looking at some paintings of my original and I found a portrait I liked of her. The hair was terrible but the dress was very nice. Kind of different from what I'd seen on her before." She glanced at Ikkyu, who was leaning against the railing and looking at the school. He stood up suddenly and grabbed Mary's hand.

"Come on, there's somewhere else I wanna go."

"O-okay," Mary said, following him. They went around the side of the main building, then up a flight of stone steps that led to a small stone balcony with what looked like a bench running around it. They went to the end together and Mary's eyes widened. From where she was standing, she could see the entrance to the school where all the politicians and dignitaries would arrive for the Expo.

"Freud likes this place," Ikkyu said, leaning back against the balcony. "He comes up here right before the Expo every year. Says it calms him. I think he just likes looking down at all the people that come to see us." He sat down on the stone bench and patted it. "Sit down. You can still see over the railing if you do."

"It's amazing," she said. "You can see all of St. Kleio from here. And there's the gate. The one that leads outside." She sat beside Ikkyu, so close that their legs were pressing together from their knees to their hips, and laid her head on his shoulder. "It would be amazing to go outside, wouldn't it? Away from the school?" He didn't answer, and she sighed. "But we couldn't go together, I'm sure."

"I'd rather be here with my friends," Ikkyu said with a shrug. "And with you." He took her hand and twined his fingers through hers. Mary wanted to kiss him, but she knew if they could see the school, the school could see them, so she didn't. "I think you're going to look beautiful in whatever you wear," he said, blushing a little.

"Thank you," Mary said, looking down at their hands. "You'll be able to see it in the ballroom before they send us to our presentation rooms, I'm sure. I wish her hair wasn't so terrible, though. I mean, it's just the time period she was in, but still."

"Your hair doesn't have to be perfect," Ikkyu said, rubbing his own hair. "I've read a lot about my original and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have gone for this hair."

"Or your glasses," Mary said with a smile.

"Those aren't optional," Ikkyu said, pushing them up on his nose. "Unless they want me squinting the entire time to see the audience." He took them off and squinted his eyes at Mary, then leaned as close as he could. "Okay, now I can see you."

"I could get used to you being this close," she said playfully. Ikkyu put his glasses back on, then pulled her away from the railing so he could kiss her safely. Mary leaned as close to him as she could until he moved away.

"We should go back to the lounge," he said, pushing his glasses up again. "I wanna see how badly Shiro's doing at pool."

"I'm going to go check on Amadeus again," Mary said, fidgeting with one of the buttons on her uniform. "I'm sorry. It's just that apart from me he doesn't really have anyone to hang around with and if something's wrong I want to be there for him."

"You don't have to apologize for that," Ikkyu said with a smile. "If something was up with one of my friends, I'd definitely want to be there for them to talk to. Of course my friends are a little louder," he added. "If you want, we can eat dinner together."

"That sounds lovely," Mary said. "I'll look forward to it."

"Great! C'mon," he said, taking her hand again. "I'll walk you to the conservatory."

At the same time Mary and Ikkyu were heading back down from the roof, Mozart was on his way to the conservatory by way of the tower hallway that attached it to the main building. He wondered if Mary was going to show up to torment him further while he practiced, and found that he was torn. It would be good to see her again after she'd been missing for the last few weeks, but at the same time he didn't want her to see how much trouble he was having with this piece.

He had finished the piece for four hands that he'd been writing and his instructor had deemed it brilliant, but suggested that he might want to write something for the Expo that would show off his talents and not require Mary's help. That, however, was proving to be more difficult than he'd expected.

Mozart turned toward the main building and saw two people walking across the roof together. Judging from the hair, he knew it was Mary and Ikkyu and he narrowed his eyes. _I suppose this means she's not coming._

"Mozart! Mozart!" A voice called his name and he ignored it, hoping the person would go away. Instead, Marie Curie ran up to him while he was standing at the edge of the tower. Annoyed, he turned to see her cheerful face.

"What do you want?" He spoke a little more abruptly than he meant to but it didn't seem to faze her, and he suddenly wished he'd been ruder.

"I was just wondering if maybe you'd given any more thought to teaching me to play the piano. I've been working hard on my own but I could really use some help to get better. Since you're the best, I thought you'd be able to give me the best instruction." She beamed at him. "You teach Mary Shelley, after all, and she plays beautifully."

If he had been leaning at all toward helping her, her words swung him in the extreme opposite direction and slammed the door shut.

"You want to learn music so badly, then here. Help yourself," he said, flinging his armload of sheet music off the tower. It fluttered to the ground below and Marie watched it, a look of shock briefly on her face while he smirked at her, waiting for her to start crying. "Damn," he said, his voice dripping with faux disappointment. "I'm so sorry about that." Instead, she beamed at him again.

"Oh, it's okay! I'll go pick them up!" Still smiling, she ran down the stairs to the ground and knelt down to pick up the sheets of music, counting them as she did. "Oh, it looks like there's a page missing," she said, looking at the sheets. From his place by the stone railing, Mozart tapped the corner of a single sheet of music against his chin. With a snort of derision, he walked away before Marie could look up and ask if there was still any up there.

His mood improved slightly by letting off some steam at Marie, he went down to the conservatory and unbuttoned the top button of his uniform jacket, then sat at the piano. He set aside the single sheet of music that was no longer needed, then began to play from memory to warm up. It sounded dry and tinny in the expansive room and he gritted his teeth. It was terrible, it sounded wrong and terrible, and he didn't know how to change it. A small knock on the door alerted him to the presence of a guest and he turned to snap at them. Instead he saw Mary standing there, smiling.

"Since when do you knock?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she came inside.

"You seemed like you were working so hard, I didn't want to interrupt." Mary looked at the couch and chairs that were against the wall. "I thought I would come and join you for a little while."

"Where's your boyfriend?" Mozart started to play again, and the music grated on his nerves. _Why? Why does it sound like this?_ "Shouldn't you be off with the monk?"

"I wanted to be here with you." She pulled a chair over to the piano but didn't sit down. "Amadeus, how about we play the piece you wrote for us? It could be a warm-up for you and I haven't played much lately."

"I-" Mozart searched for a reason to tell her no but couldn't find one. He scooted over on the bench so she could sit down. "Come on then. Let's get warmed up so I can get on with my real work." Mary beamed at him and sat beside him, then rested her fingers on the keys.

Once they were playing together, it was like a switch had flipped in Mozart's head. It was obvious that Mary hadn't been practicing, but she was as confident as ever and didn't stop when she made a mistake, instead correcting herself and going on in time. The music came easily to him for a change and he played easily, calmly. All too soon it was over and Mary put her hands in her lap.

"You were a little sloppy," Mozart said, giving her a look that he hoped disguised his relief at being able to play again. "But that was good enough."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Mary said, putting her fingers on the keys again and playing a little. "What's next? Shall we play your original's music?"

"I need to work on my own music," he said sharply. "If you're determined to sit in here with me, then I'll thank you to keep quiet while I do." Mary, who was used to this sort of treatment, gave him a shrug and moved to the chair she'd pulled up. She sat down and looked expectantly at Mozart, who put his hands on the piano and took a deep breath. Then he started to play.

From the beginning, Mary knew there was something wrong with him but she didn't know what. His music sounded different than usual but she didn't know how to bring it up to him without his getting angry at her. She listened to him as closely as she knew how but the only thing she could come up with was that he sounded hollow. Mozart continued to play for another few minutes before finally sighing and looking over at Mary.

"You're distracting me," he said icily, staring at her with the eyes he reserved for people who had crossed him. She was unfazed and stared back at him. "Go work on your writing or something."

"Fine," Mary said, standing up from her chair. "But I'm going to play with you first."

"Mary, I don't have time for-"

"Make time." She dropped onto the bench beside him. "Shall we start with the allegretto?"

"Fine. Whatever."

"Now that's what I like to hear."

A week passed without incident, unless you counted the students becoming more and more occupied with their presentations for the Expo. Mary, who had been working hard on her writing regardless, spent the majority of her time working on her costume. She wasn't the best seamstress, so she had drawn out the dress and was planning on sending out the design for someone else to make, using the excuse that her original hadn't been able to sew either.

She mainly saw Ikkyu during class and walking to the dorms, as he had been putting off his presentation until the last minute and needed as much time as possible to work on it. Still, they found some time to spend together, even if it was just sitting on the lawn to study.

Mozart, on the other hand, was becoming scarcer and scarcer, shutting himself in his room with his private piano for hours at a time. He refused to come out, even for Mary, telling her that he needed to be alone to work on his composition. She worried about him when he did this but accepted that there was nothing she could do about it. He would come out again when he was finished.

The most interesting thing happened one Monday morning when the students were gathered in their homeroom classes. The professor came in, his face impassive, and cleared his throat. The students had all stopped talking as usual, and he took the opportunity to announce to them all that Marie Curie would no longer be in their class. She had transferred to another school.

This came as a complete surprise to Mary, who hadn't even known that they_ could_ transfer to other schools. She spent the rest of the class glancing at Marie's empty desk and wondering about schools outside St. Kleio. After class was finished for the day, however, most of the students seemed to have forgotten about it and were going back about their business of prepping for the Expo. Mary met up with Ikkyu and the others as usual.

"Physical exams are tomorrow," Napoleon said with a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to get out of class early, but I always feel so stupid walking around in those outfits." He looked over at Florence, whose eyes were downcast. "What's up?"

"I can't help it, it's just so sad." Florence didn't elaborate and Mary patted her on the shoulder gently.

"Don't worry, Florence," Mary said with a smile. "I'm sure everything will be all right." Florence looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears. If she had to guess, Mary would have said that she was crying because of Marie, since Shiro had given her the news at lunch. Out of all her friends, Florence seemed to be taking it the hardest.

"Y-yes, I'm sure you're right."

"Mary, don't you have your meeting today?" Elizabeth looked at her curiously and Mary nodded. "Are you going to watch Kennedy's speech?"

"Of course. We're a political group, it's very important to us to see how our famous predecessor looks. Isn't it exciting, though? I mean, running for political office. He's going to be just like his original." Mary looked thoughtful. "I wonder if he'll get elected."

"Whether he does or doesn't is irrelevant," said Napoleon. "The fact is that he's putting himself out there. And the people love him so far. I'll bet even if he doesn't win he's going to get a ton of votes."

"You're probably right," Ikkyu said. "If he wins, it'll be a landslide."

"Well, I'd better get going. I'll see you all later," Mary said. She gave Ikkyu a small wave and turned down the opposite hallway to the room where the group they had named the Wollstonecraft Society met twice a week.

Unfortunately, not much was getting done. Every discussion they tried to get into was derailed by more talk about Kennedy and his upcoming speech.

"I'm so excited," Susan B. Anthony said. "Can you imagine? A clone running for President! That's going to mean so much for us all!"

"Is _anyone_ here going to talk about gender politics today?" Helen Keller closed her book irritably and the other girls looked around at each other. "Need I remind you that in spite of everything that's happened in politics, a woman still wouldn't get elected if she ran?"

"That's not necessarily the case," Susan said, her voice changed to its usual calm. "If they elected a black man, and they elect a clone, then maybe they would change their collective mind and elect a woman next."

"That's wishful thinking," Helen said sourly.

"Maybe not," Amelia Earhart said. She smiled and stood up. "Let's finish up here and go watch the speech on the television in our dorm," she said. "I'm sure we won't have to fight for it today, everyone will be watching."

"Excellent idea," Susan said. "Much better than watching it from the projector." The girls gathered their things and left the room together. Mary was careful to keep her secretary's notebook separate from her school things. She didn't want to spend another night copying things from one to the other again.

"It's amazing that he's made it through the Senate and everything," said Amelia as they walked down the hallway. "The perfect politician. And everyone loved his original, so I can't imagine that he's going to have a problem being elected."

"Not everyone loved him," Helen reminded them. "He was assassinated, after all."

"All right, then, _most _people loved him," said Mary, trying to keep the peace. Helen was particularly bossy at the moment and she felt like she was dealing with Mozart after all. She wondered if he was going to come out of his room long enough to watch the speech.

The conversation remained on Kennedy all the way to the dorm and the girls immediately went to the common area where the large, flat-screen television was on the wall. Couches and chairs were scattered around and they managed to find an area where they could all sit together. Mary, Amelia and Susan sat on the couch while Helen took the wing chair. Little by little the room filled with students and Helen turned the channel to the speech. Clone Kennedy was already on the podium and waving at the crowd that had gathered.

"Amazing," said Susan. "Look at all the people there for him!" The entire room murmured together but Mary scarcely heard them. Kennedy began to talk and a hush fell over the room. No one wanted to miss a minute of his speech.

He spoke forcefully, emphasizing his love of freedom and country. As Mary had expected, he also spoke about his being a clone and that he had been given a second chance to be the president. She wondered if this broke the American rule about serving multiple terms and reminded herself to look it up for the next meeting. She realized her mind was wandering and quickly brought it back to the television.

"Now! All of us together," Kennedy said, raising a fist to show his determination. "We must ask ourselves what we must do for freedom! This is what you and I dream-" He wasn't allowed to finish. His words were clipped off neatly by the single bullet that came from somewhere in the crowd, hitting him in the head and knocking him backwards off the podium. Some of the girls screamed.

"I can't believe this," Amelia said, pressing her hands to her mouth. "He can't be dead."

"He was shot in the head," Helen said, all of the emotion drained from her voice. "I can't imagine he lived after that."

"He...it was just like his original," one of the girls said, a note of panic in her voice. "Does that mean we're all doomed to die like we did before?"

Mary's blood ran cold in her veins and her heartbeat quickened. Was that possible? That she would die just like her original? Numb, she stood up and went to her room without a word to the other girls, then sat down at her desk without turning the lights on. Outside, she heard footsteps running as the news spread through the dorm and the others ran to watch the news.

In his room, Mozart heard the same commotion from downstairs but didn't move from his piano. Whatever it was, it didn't concern him. He wasn't about to get involved with something else that was none of his business.

The last time hadn't worked out so well.


	9. Mozart's Determination

Mozart didn't want to go to the infirmary but all the cases he was making to his teacher weren't having any effect. She refused to let him participate in the rest of the PE class until he went and had his hand looked at, so he'd changed out of his wet bathing suit and trudged down the halls until he reached the hospital wing of the elementary division of the St. Kleio Academy.

He was surprised to find the office empty but sat down in the small chair to wait for someone to arrive. As he did, he looked around the room. There were brightly colored posters reminding the reader to brush their teeth and be kind to the elderly, as if there were any elderly at St. Kleio. The oldest person he could think of was the doctor who did their physical exams. He barely had time to wonder if that was the elderly person the poster meant when the nurse came back to her desk.

"Oh, hello there," she said kindly. "How can I help you?"

"I hurt my hand at the pool," Mozart said. "They wanted me to come show it to you."

"All right, come on back with me. I'll get your information." She got up and opened the door for him, and Mozart obediently followed her to a small room with a door in the front and one in the back. "Have a seat right there and I'll tell the doctor you're here." She disappeared out the back door, leaving Mozart alone again. He looked at the walls, which were bare, and thought that even though the posters in the waiting room were kind of silly, he preferred them to the sterile whiteness.

Through the door he could hear people talking and was curious about what they were talking about. He waited patiently for a little while, then went to the back door and opened it. There was no one in the hall now and he walked down it, looking around. There were rooms that looked like he imagined hospital rooms must look, and rooms with strange equipment. At the end of the hall was a closed door and he looked back at the room in which he had been waiting. His curiosity ran wild as he crept toward the door, wondering what could be inside.

When he opened it, however, he found nothing but a plain office with a messy desk. Far more interesting was the fact that a small girl was sitting in the doctor's chair picking at the keyboard of his computer intently. She was sitting on her heels so she would be able to see, and her tongue was poking slightly out of her mouth. Mozart frowned at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting," she said, continuing to type one letter at a time. "The doctor is testing my blood. Then I have to have a test on my head."

"Why?"

"I dunno." The girl shrugged, then turned to look at him curiously. "Why are you here?"

"I hurt my hand at the pool. The teacher wanted me to have it disinfected." Mozart went over and sat down on the chair that was facing the desk. "What are you doing?"

"Writing." She used the backspace button to remove a few words, then started again.

"About what?"

"Going to school with everyone else." The girl sighed. "I can't yet." This was a curious statement and Mozart frowned.

"Why not?" Before the girl could answer, the door opened and the doctor walked in.

"Oh. Hello, Mozart." He turned to the little girl. "All right, Mary, let's get you down to the changing room. They've got the scanner ready." She slid off the chair and the doctor looked at Mozart. "Go back to the exam room, Mozart. I'll get her situated, then I'll be back to check on you." The boy nodded, wondering exactly what 'situated' meant, and watched as the little girl walked away, giving him a tiny wave on her way out the door. Curious again in spite of the doctor's orders, Mozart went to the computer and looked at the screen.

_St. Kleio, by Mary Shelley_

_My name is Mary. I am six. I live in the hospital at St. Kleio School. There are other kids at the school. I don't get to play with the other kids because I am sick. The doctor says that my head might be broken because I fall down sometimes._

_I want to play with other kids. I want to go to school with other kids. I wish I had a mom and dad, but the doctor says I am special so I don't have one. He says I can write stories. I like writing stories because it is like having friends._

"Mozart, I thought I told you to go back to the exam room." The doctor's voice came from the doorway again and Mozart looked over to see that he had his arms folded across his chest. He recognized this as the universal sign that someone was unhappy with him and walked down the hall with the doctor behind him, thinking about the girl. When they reached the exam room, the doctor put him up on the table and smiled. "Now, what's wrong?"

"We were swimming and I was running around the pool and I slipped and fell on my hand. The teacher wanted me to come and see you." He held out his hand, which had a long scrape on the back of it. His wrist was also bruised a little and the doctor turned it over.

"You must be more careful," he said, shaking his head. "You can't be doing things that would put your hands in danger. What if you broke your wrist? You wouldn't be able to play the piano for almost two months."

Mozart turned this over in his head. He liked playing the piano. The teachers told him he was good at it and that one day he would be writing his own music to play. He wondered how he would learn to do that, then thought of what would happen to his playing if he wasn't allowed to use his hand. The thought was unpleasant and he shook it off. There was a more pressing question on his mind, however, and he cocked his head at the doctor.

"Who is Mary Shelley?"

"She's a clone, just like you," the doctor said, pushing his hand back until it hurt. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"What's wrong with her?" Mozart watched as the doctor bent his hand forward. Convinced that nothing was broken, he went about the business of dabbing iodine on his scraped hand. "How come she has to stay here?"

"Mary's original was very sick," the doctor said. "We think that she might be sick in the same way, so we don't want her to be with the other children in case something happens to her. Besides, she might have to go away soon."

"Why?" Mozart's eyes were enormous. He had never known anyone who had to leave St. Kleio, or even wanted to. Everything was here for them, from their clothes and toys to their food, and there were always people in white to take care of them. Leaving the school was almost as strange as the girl being there in the first place.

"Because if she is very sick she's going to need extra care and we don't have enough nurses to watch her all the time." The doctor sighed. Dealing with children was not his specialty. He would have to remember to ask to transfer to the high school section of the school. Surely teenagers couldn't be this much trouble. "I want you to be more careful," he said, taking a bandage out of the drawer. "Rest your hand for a few days, then you can take off the bandage."

"Okay." A thought came to him and he gave his most winning smile to the doctor. "Can I come back and see Mary Shelley?"

"I'm afraid not," the doctor said, wrapping his wrist. "She doesn't need anyone to bother her. There," he said, clipping the bandage on. "All fixed. You can go ahead back to the front now. And remember what I said about being more careful."

"Yes, sir." Mozart hopped off the table and went through the front door while the doctor went out the back. He went back to the front desk, looking behind himself as he went. Suddenly he got an idea. _If I get sick again, I can come back and see her._ The seed had been planted in his mind and he smiled all the way to the front and past the nurse. Now all he had to do was get sick.

Over the next several weeks, Mozart had three fevers, twisted his ankle, caught a summer cold, and complained of a toothache. Each time, he would find some reason to sneak back into the rear of the hospital and visit Mary. On one of the visits she showed him where she lived, a small hospital room that was decorated with flowers and stuffed animals.

He wondered what it was that made her so sick that she couldn't be with the rest of the kids but she wasn't able to explain it to him any further than that there was something wrong with her head. She told him about strange procedures with large machines and about the unfairness of it all.

The doctors, of course, became suspicious when he claimed he'd been hit with a soccer ball and didn't have any bruises to show for it. They warned him over and over that one day he would really be hurt and no one would come help him, but he ignored them in favor of seeing Mary for a few more minutes. He liked her. She wasn't like the other kids.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mozart. Again." The nurse at the front desk sighed and brought him back to the exam room. "You're the sickest kid I ever saw. What's wrong today?"

"I have a stomachache."

"Uh-huh. Well you just sit in here and the doctor will be right in." She left the room and Mozart hardly waited for the door to close before he was out of it and sneaking down the hall to Mary's room. Offhand, he wondered why it always took the doctor so long to come and see him but he assumed it had something to do with what he'd said about no one coming to help him if he kept faking injuries.

"Hi, Mary," he said when he saw she was in bed. Her face lit up and she struggled to sit up in the bed.

"Mozart!" She watched him drag a chair over to the bed. "Are you okay, you're here again?"

"I'm fine," he said with a shrug. "I just come to say hi to you. You must get awfully bored being in here by yourself."

"Yeah, it's kind of dumb. You wanna see what I wrote?" She didn't wait for his answer, which was almost always yes. He nodded and she handed him a notebook. Mozart scanned the words as quickly as possible and nodded again. "Do you think it's good? Mr. Kuroe said it was good."

"Mr. Kuroe? Who's that?"

"He comes to visit me sometimes. It's like he's my uncle." Mary beamed at him. "He's super nice and sometime he brings me things." This brightened Mozart's day tremendously. Sometimes imagining her alone in the hospital made him sad.

They chatted for a little while in the scattered, giggling way that small children have until Mozart thought he heard footsteps in the hallway.

"I gotta go," he said, disappointed. "I'll come see you again, okay?" Mary nodded and waved at him as he left.

His fear that he'd heard someone in the hall proved to be baseless and he walked slowly down the hall to his exam room, pausing by a door when he heard voices inside. One he recognized as the doctor who always cared for him. The other he'd never heard before. He was about to leave them alone and go back to his exam room when he heard someone mention the words "Mary Shelley." He pressed his ear to the door to try and hear all he could.

Inside the room, Kuroe was not pleased. He listened to the doctor's words carefully, his fingers pressing against his palm so hard he could feel them digging angry half-moons into the flesh.

"She's a do-over, then?" Kuroe's voice was heavy and Mozart frowned in his place outside the door. He wasn't sure what Kuroe meant but it didn't sound very good.

"Worse than that, I'm afraid we're going to have to scrap the Shelley project altogether," the doctor said to Kuroe. "Our experiment have succeeded in removing the gene that caused her original's cancer but for some reason this Mary Shelley has developed a cardiac defect. We don't know why it's taken so long to manifest but I'm sorry to say that it's causing some fairly serious arrhythmias. Hence the reason she passes out all the time."

"Dammit," Kuroe said. "I hate this."

"I know. But with so many kids to look after, we just don't have the resources to give her the care she needs. If she was going to be integrated with the rest of the students, she would need full-time attention to make sure she doesn't exercise too hard and stays calm." The doctor shook his head. "I don't like it any more than you do, Kuroe, but we don't have a choice."

"Fine," Kuroe replied, his voice belying how tired he was. "I'll-I'll take care of things. Personally. I'm afraid someone else would scare her. I don't want her to be scared any more than she has to be." His voice broke. "Dammit!"

"I'll take care of her!" Mozart flung open the door, much to the surprise of both men. He looked fiercely up at Kuroe. "I'll take care of Mary Shelley!"

"Mozart!" The doctor's face flushed and he glared down at the boy. Kuroe didn't seem to share his surprise, but it took a lot to rattle him.

"Mozart," Kuroe said, kneeling down in front of him, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. She's very sick, and you have your own school to look after. The best thing for her is to-to go away."

"No," Mozart said stubbornly. "She wants to go to school with everyone else and write stories and stuff. And I don't want her to go away. She's my friend."

"Mozart-"

"You're not understanding what this entails, I'm afraid," said the doctor sternly. "It means you'd have to stay with her almost all the time. It would be a lot like having a little sister, and you'd never be able to say you changed your mind."

"I can do that," Mozart said, puffing out his chest. "I can do all of it!"

"You can't be serious," Kuroe said, his eyes widening. "Surely you're not suggesting that we let a-a _kid_ take care of a sick little girl!"

"I'm very serious. She'll have regular check-ups here and we'll make sure she's monitored closely, but for the most part you'll be responsible for Mary Shelley." He folded his arms across his chest and Mozart's face lit up. "She'll be in school with the rest of you next Monday."

"Thank you!" Mozart rushed away toward the exam rooms, afraid that if he hung around too soon the adults would tell him they changed their minds. His supposed stomachache was already gone and he was out the door before the nurse could call him back. Back in the doctor's office, Kuroe watched him run across the lawn to the main elementary building.

"Are you sure about this?" Kuroe shook his head. "I mean, is it really a good idea to let him get attached to her like this when she's just going to die soon?"

"It'll be a good experiment," said the doctor. "We'll see just what happens when a clone is presented with the idea of family after having been told all his life that he's special and has no parents. Especially Mozart, who has the tendency to be rather selfish, as opposed to our previous Mozart."

"But the last Mozart and Mary Shelley..."

"Yes, that was an unfortunate incident. But it occurred while Kamiya was here. Things are different now. And their personalities may be completely different once they get older. It's just as likely as not that it won't be repeated. We'll just have to see." He smirked at Kuroe. "How exactly did you know about the previous generation of clones?"

"It's my business to know everything there is about this campus." With a deep sigh, he turned away from the window. "I'm going back to the main campus. Call me if you need anything." Not waiting for the doctor to say anything else, Kuroe left with the same swiftness as Mozart.

_This is going to go badly, I just know it._

Mozart lay in bed with his arms behind his head, thinking about the day he'd said he would take care of Mary Shelley. It had indeed been a time-consuming task but he had never regretted taking it on. The entire reason he'd let her sit in on his piano lessons and learn with him was to keep an eye on her and find an activity she could participate in that wouldn't cause her to overexert herself.

Knowing what he knew now about St. Kleio,and when he thought about Kuroe's part of the conversation with the most cynical mind he had, he understood that if he hadn't stepped in at that moment they would have likely done away with Mary because of her heart. Back then he had just thought it meant she would be sent away, and it was through a completely selfish desire to make her stay so she could be his friend that he had made the offer to care for her.

_I suppose I'm still taking care of her_, he thought. His mind turned to Marie Curie and he rolled onto his side. _I didn't have time to take care of two helpless creatures. Besides, she'll never be able to play as well as Mary._

Playing with Mary. He stared at his piano blankly. The only time he'd felt right playing recently was when she was with him. When she was sitting beside him, her small fingers had played so well that it broke through whatever block he was experiencing and let him play the way he used to. The flatness was gone, but only when she was there, in spite of her missed notes.

This was the real reason he had started avoiding her. He couldn't allow her to be his crutch. If he was going to find a way out of this prison, he would have to do it on his own. Mozart closed his eyes and imagined himself playing, hoping it would help with his composition. Nothing came to him, though, and he opened his eyes to stare at the piano.

_I'm a genius, _he told himself. _A prodigy, just like I told that loser Shiro. A genius._

Over at the girls' dorm, Ikkyu was waiting for Mary to come downstairs. His research for the Expo was making his head hurt and he needed a break, even if it was just to talk to her for a little while. He looked up at the room he had determined was hers as if he'd be able to see her, but the doors opened and she came out a moment later wearing his sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. He smiled without even realizing he was doing it. The sweatshirt was too big on her but she looked cute in it.

"Hi," he said. "I hope I didn't bug you while you were studying."

"No, I was just writing." She looked around. "Bench?"

"How about the back steps?" This was where they had been going when they didn't want to walk around the school but also didn't want to be seen, and Mary nodded. "It's cool out again tonight, don't you think?"

"A little. That's why I wore this." They walked around the side of the building and she raised her arms so it would demonstrate the length of the arms. "Are you sure you don't want it back?"

"Nah. Like I said before, I've got a ton of sweatshirts." He pulled at the front of the hoodie he was wearing. "See?"

"I just want to make sure. I'd hate to think that you were cold while I'm warm."

"I'm good.Oh man, you are _never _going to believe what happened today," Ikkyu said, leaning back against the back steps of the girls' dorm.

"I heard you got caught outside our locker room," Mary said, smirking at him. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It seemed like a good idea at the time, y'know? Anyway, they made us write letters of apology for it. We got caught by these creepy soldiers too. They had guns and were all dressed in black, like the SWAT teams you see on TV."

"Weird," Mary said. "I guess they're here because of the assassination. Tightening security to make sure nothing happens here."

"That's what Napoleon said. It makes sense that they'd want to protect us. But that's not the only crazy thing that happened! When we were getting our exams, Shiro went over to talk to Mozart about Marie Curie. He was trying to thank him for helping her and he said he threw his music at her when she asked for his help." Mary sighed.

"That sounds like the sort of thing Amadeus would do. I wish I could see Marie to apologize on his behalf."

"That's not all. He started saying that Marie was nothing and a nobody, and Shiro started yelling at him. It was crazy. Mozart just lost it. Then he, like, knocked Shiro down and started ranting about being a prodigy and getting a second life, told Shiro not to touch him because he was a non-clone, and stormed out." Ikkyu shook his head. "When he told me to visit you in the hospital, I thought he was a little crazy but this was something else."

"He really did that?" Mary frowned. Mozart had always thought he was above the other clones and non-clones but she'd never seen him react like Ikkyu was saying.

"I know he's your friend and all, but it was really weird. Shiro's pretty upset about it too, about the Marie Curie stuff. I think he had a crush on her."

"Oh." Her conversation with Shiro on the stairs came back to her, and she supposed that Marie had been the object of his affection that he hadn't wanted to tell her about. "I know he won't say it himself, but please apologize to Shiro for me." She chuckled ruefully. "I've been saying that a lot to people lately but I hardly even see him anymore."

"He's not your responsibility," Ikkyu said, putting an arm around Mary's shoulders like she was one of the guys. "And it's his loss. If he doesn't want to hang out with you, it's just more time that we get to spend together. Or we will after the Expo's over."

"Yeah." Mary scooted closer to him. "Probably." She hoped her voice wasn't too disappointed. As much as she liked being with Ikkyu, she had been friends with Mozart almost from the beginning. His avoidance of her felt like a slap in the face and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Ikkyu noticed them and moved his arm so he could take both of her hands in his.

"Hey, it's gonna be all right. He's probably just freaked out because of the Expo. You know how much people love his recitals. We're all a little on edge."

"You seem pretty calm."

"Hey, I'm working just as hard as the next guy." He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, let's take a walk."

"Okay."

They walked down the sidewalk together, Ikkyu having moved on to chattering about a show he'd watched with Napoleon a few days earlier. She wished she could be as optimistic about his behavior but she still kept turning it over in her mind. She hoped Ikkyu was right about him just being overwhelmed by the Expo.


	10. Hypothesis and Flaw

"Relax," said Dr. Kamiya, leaving Kuroe behind at the elevator. "I've changed." The elevator doors closed behind him and Kuroe watched him walk down the hall toward his office. For a long moment he thought about letting the doctor go, but instead he caught up with him.

"I notice when you said all the students were in fine health, you didn't mention Mary Shelley." There was no answer to this and Kuroe pushed further. "How's she doing?" Kamiya looked over at Kuroe with interest. "I haven't seen much of her since you put in the pacemaker."

"She's doing quite well," Kamiya said, hands in his lab coat pockets. "The teachers tell me that her endurance is improving. There's no reason she can't live a normal life." They turned down into the hall that led to Kamiya's office. "I see no problem with her being released at graduation with the other clones, provided she's monitored on the outside."

"Monitored," Kuroe said with a sardonic smile. "And who exactly is going to do the monitoring?"

"Any normal cardiologist, provided I share the data I've collected on her." Kamiya opened the door to his office. "Which shouldn't be a problem. There's nothing that needs to be omitted if we stick to medications and the pacemaker procedure."

"Right." They went into the office and Kuroe sat on the couch with a sigh as Kamiya went to get them coffee. "She's been seeing a lot of Ikkyu," he said, leaning on his elbows on the table. "And less of Mozart."

"Mm." Kamiya seemed disinterested by this and settled two paper cups into the ceramic holders. "So you're keeping an eye on her?"

"Her and every other clone in this school."

"You like her, though, don't you?" Kamiya set a cup of coffee in front of Kuroe with the same impassive look on his face that he always seemed to wear.

"I've kept an eye on her. She was already labeled as a failure once, I couldn't be sure she wouldn't end up on the list again. If she did, I wanted to be able to extract her with the least amount of fuss possible. Contain the situation." He sipped his coffee, then frowned. "How much coffee did you put in this?"

"Possibly too much." Kamiya leaned back on his desk. "I wanted it strong. We've got a lot of work ahead of us with the Expo coming up and the increase in security. Not to mention the fact that Rockswell's going to show up sometime soon."

"You've heard from him?"

"No, but he always shows up around this time," said Kamiya, bringing his coffee to his lips. "I think he likes to keep things as inconvenient as possible for everyone around him."

"Let's just hope he doesn't have anything up his sleeve this time," Kuroe said. He watched Kamiya for a moment, then sighed. "Now I just have to decide what I'm going to do about this situation with Mary Shelley and Ikkyu."

"Why? It won't hurt anything."

"It won't hurt anything," Kuroe repeated irritably. "That's what you say about everything, right before you say that such-and-such is a do-over and I'm the one who has to deal with the rest of it."

"You misunderstand," Kamiya replied, setting down his coffee on his desk. "There is every possibility that this will improve their character."

"How so?"

"Mary Shelley's original fell in love with Percy Bysshe Shelley and created her best and most enduring work. Ikkyu's original fell in love with the singer Mori and was completely devoted to her, causing him to produce some of his finest poetry." He shrugged. "Of course, it's going to be difficult for them once they've graduated but if they're allowed to keep in contact on the outside it could, on the whole, be a continuation of an excellent experiment."

"Experiment," spat Kuroe. "That's all these kids are to you, isn't it?"

"They have limited access to the sort of interaction normal high school students have. This is an opportunity to observe how they react. Besides," Kamiya said, turning to his desk and rummaging through the papers, "It's not as if it's not happening all over the school. It's just that most of the students don't have someone 'keeping an eye on them.'"

"So this is my responsibility now?"

"Of course not. Don't be silly." Kamiya picked up a sheaf of papers and started flipping through them. Maybe it was irritation after the meeting they'd been a part of, or maybe it was the knowledge that the school director would be showing up at any time, but for some reason the sight sent a surge of anger through Kuroe. He shot up from his seat and ran a hand through his hair.

"This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous." Kuroe stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind him, leaving Kamiya looking over his shoulder.

"Really?"

Kuroe took a moment to compose himself before he walked into the main school building. Classes were just letting out and he put a smile on his face that he didn't quite feel so the students wouldn't be suspicious.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kuroe," one of the girls said with a smile. Kuroe raised his hand pleasantly on his way past. Students flooded around him, greeting him as he went by. They seemed in good enough spirits and for that he was happy.

It would be easier for him to detach himself and think of the people moving around him as clones rather than individuals the way the board and Kamiya did, and to some extent he had learned to do so. But there was still a part of him that saw them as a bunch of babies crawling on the floor, looking for someone to hold them. He'd watched them grow up; it was impossible for him to think of them as less important than other people. No matter what Kamiya and the others thought, he would keep watching over them until they needed him.

"-eight or nine pages. And it was all complete gibberish!" Mary's voice hit his ears and he automatically turned toward it, scanning the crowd for her. "I'm going to have to-oh!" Mary rounded the corner with Ikkyu and, not paying attention, ran headfirst into Kuroe. She stumbled a few steps backward. Ikkyu stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Hello, Mr. Kuroe!"

Kuroe looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. For a moment an image of her as a little girl looking up at him intruded on his vision and he shook his head to clear it. Ikkyu glanced at Mary, then looked worriedly at Kuroe.

"Mr. Kuroe? Is everything all right?"

"All right?" Kuroe looked from her face to Ikkyu's, both of which were filled with concern. They genuinely looked worried about him and he put a hand on Mary's head gently. "Of course. I'm fine. Just lost in thought, I guess." He forced a smile and Mary frowned, unconvinced.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. You two should get to class," he said distractedly. Mary looked at Ikkyu again, then turned back to Kuroe.

"But-"

"Come on, Mary." Ikkyu put a hand on the small of her back and gave her a gentle nudge forward. She looked back at him, then nodded and started down the hall, looking back at Kuroe. He noticed that Ikkyu kept his hand on Mary's back as long as possible and it caused a stab of pain to shoot through his chest.

It shouldn't make him feel this way. Seeing the two of them happy should have made him happy by extension but it only made him feel more desolate. He wanted to run after them and pull them apart, to tell Mary that she couldn't be with him anymore, that it would only cause both of them pain in the end. But seeing her smile up at Ikkyu over her shoulder like they were normal kids, it almost made it all right. He could still hear their voices over the others as they started to disappear down the hall.

"So are you going back to your room, then?"

"Yeah. I want to work on it while it's still sort of fresh in my head. I'm convinced that something of it can be saved."

_That's right, _thought Kuroe. _Maybe Kamiya's right. Maybe it can be._

"Did Mr. Kuroe seem strange to you this afternoon?" Mary sat beside Ikkyu on the back stairs of the dorm later that night. He was taking a break from his homework and had brought a bag of candy for them to share.

"Strange?" Ikkyu fished a piece of candy out of the bag and popped it into his mouth. "Kinda. Like he was out of it, right?"

"Yeah." Mary sighed. "It was so odd, the way he looked at me. It was like I was a total stranger to him." She took a piece of candy but didn't eat it. Instead, she leaned back against the stairs. "Everyone's acting strange. Amadeus keeps locking himself in his room and he refuses to eat with me unless I beg him. Now Mr. Kuroe, too."

"I didn't really wanna say anything about it, since y'know, you and he are close. But the way he freaked out on Shiro...something's up. It's weird that he wouldn't talk to you about it, though. I mean, you've been friends for years." He took another piece of candy from the bag and Mary looked at him.

"I know." An uncomfortable tightness had taken hold of her chest and she took a deep breath to try and clear it. Ikkyu didn't seem to notice. He was busy searching the bag for a green candy. "You're never going to get to sleep if you don't stop eating those," she said, wanting to get off the topic of Mozart. It was true that she had been the one to bring him up, but she wanted to forget she'd ever said anything about him.

"I can't help it, they're good. Especially the green ones."

"They all taste the same."

"The green ones taste better."

"Now who's the weird one?"

"Hmm, let me think about it." Ikkyu looked up at the sky, holding his chin as if he was Freud, thinking about it seriously. "Yup, still me." This made Mary laugh and he leaned his head on his hand. He was sitting sideways on the steps in a way that made him look more like he was laying on them, and smiled at Mary in a thoughtful way. For some reason it made her blush.

"What's so interesting about me?"

"Nothing. Well, I mean, not _nothing_. But I just wanted to look at you." This made Mary blush even more and he sat up suddenly. "Let's go out to the woods."

"Now? Isn't it getting a little late?" Ikkyu was already rolling up the bag of candy to stick in the pocket of his hoodie, and she looked out over the grounds. Her chest was still hurting a little but she did want to walk with him. She especially liked walking in the woods, where they could hold hands without worrying about being seen. Ignoring the pain in her chest and a random skipping beat or two, she stood up and smiled. "Sure, let's go."

"Great!" Ikkyu stuffed the candy into his pocket as Mary put a small rock between the door and its jamb to keep it open for her when she returned.

They were halfway to the woods, talking about Ikkyu's secret plan for a comedy interlude during the Expo, when he stopped and looked up at the sky.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Mary looked around.

"That thunder. At least, I think it was thunder." Just as he said this, the sky opened up and rain started pouring down on them. "Yeah, that'd be thunder." He unzipped his hoodie and held it over them like an umbrella as they ran back in the direction of the dorms. Partway there, Mary's heart began to skip strangely and she thought about asking Ikkyu to slow down. Not wanting to worry him, she kept running with him until they were under the small overhang of the back stairs.

"Sorry about that," he said, still holding the now-wet hoodie over their heads. Both their clothes were sticking to them with rain and he could clearly see the outline of her bra through the t-shirt she was wearing. Ikkyu forced himself to look only at her face, blushing as he did. "Guess I'd better get back to the dorm."

"Y-yeah," Mary said, her teeth starting to chatter when the wind blew over them. "M-me too."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, leaning in to kiss her. If she was cold or otherwise uncomfortable, Mary didn't show it, but as Ikkyu ran toward his dorm he wondered if she was all right. She'd been worried that something was off with Mozart and Mr. Kuroe, but there was something slightly off about her as well. Chalking it up to her concerns over her friends, he ducked into the dorm and went upstairs dripping water.

"Where've you been?" Napoleon passed him on the way to his room, a towel slung over his shoulder. "Don't tell me you were out in this."

"We kinda got caught in it."

"Hurry up and change before you catch a cold. The last thing I want to hear is you whining about how you got sick." He smirked and Ikkyu looked at him indignantly.

"I don't whine when I'm sick."

"Uh, yeah. You do." Napoleon shook his head. "I'm gonna take a shower. I'll see you in a little bit." With that, he went toward the bathroom and Ikkyu headed for his room to get a towel and his pajamas. Once he was in his room, he looked out the window in the direction of the girls' dorm. He still had no idea which window belonged to Mary but he imagined her smiling at him all the same. When the urge to sneeze hit him, he did it as quietly as possible just in case Napoleon was listening. An unpleasant thought went through his head as he turned away from the window.

He really hoped Mary wasn't going to get sick.

Mary, Elizabeth, and Florence walked together out of their dorm the next evening, all of them dressed in the comfortable clothes they wore when they were finally free of their uniforms. Florence had on a dress with a shawl around her shoulders, Elizabeth wore a skirt and sweater, and Mary had on a pair of knee-length jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. There couldn't have been three more different girls walking toward the cafeteria.

"I can't believe how cool it's been in the evening," Florence said. "Shouldn't the weather be changing soon?"

"Probably," Mary replied. "But I like it a little cooler."

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Elizabeth nodded toward the main building. "Come on, we'll meet up with the guys there." There were several books in her arms and Mary looked curiously at them.

"What are those for?"

"These?" Elizabeth held them up. "Just books I thought I would need for my presentation. They turned out to be useless, though, so I thought I'd return them while we're in the building."

"But the library's closed already," Florence said, pointing toward it. It was true; the long line of windows that faced the courtyard were all dark and Elizabeth groaned.

"I didn't even think about that. You guys hang on for a second, I'll run back and toss them in my room. Otherwise they're just going to take up space at the table." She turned with an apologetic look at Mary and Florence, then started back to the girls' dorm.

The door to the boys' dorm opened and Mozart came walking out, staring at a handful of sheet music. His attention was fully on the pages in his hand and he bumped into Elizabeth hard enough to make her drop her armful of books. Rather than stopping to help her with them, though, he continued walking briskly, pausing only to shoot a sneer in her direction.

"Watch where you're going," Mozart said coldly to Elizabeth, who had bent to pick up her books. Mary rounded on him, grabbing his arm hard enough that he stopped in his tracks.

"Amadeus! Apologize immediately!"

"I've done nothing to apologize for," he said, jerking his arm away from Mary's grasp. "And I have work to do. Can't you leave me alone for one afternoon?" Mozart turned away from Mary's shocked face, not wanting to see the hurt he knew he'd find. He strode away from her toward the conservatory, leaving Mary standing on the pathway looking after him.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," Mary said, turning to Elizabeth with her eyes on the ground. "That was completely uncalled for. He's been such a jerk lately, I don't know what's wrong with him."

"You don't have to apologize for him," Elizabeth said, dusting off the books. "Napoleon told us how he started yelling at Shiro the other day, though."

"Yeah, Ikkyu told me about it." Mary looked after Mozart, who seemed unfazed. "And that now Shiro has this crazy idea that he's going to teach Amadeus a lesson. He wants Ikkyu to help him train for whatever it is he's got planned."

"Was that why Shiro was running around the track at lunch?" Florence looked concerned. "He seemed so serious about it." Over her shoulder, Mary could see the boys coming toward them dressed in their casual clothes. Napoleon and Freud were talking, and it seemed that Ikkyu was giving Shiro some sort of advice.

"Great, now I don't have time to go put the books up," Elizabeth said with a sigh. "Will you guys wait for me if I do?"

"Sure," Mary said, still preoccupied with Mozart's behavior. His brushing her aside made her feel lightheaded, as if things were passing by her too quickly. He'd never treated her like this, not in all the time they'd been friends. _Is he angry at me about Ikkyu? But why? He's the one who basically set us up in the first place._ Ikkyu stopped talking to Shiro and waved to her, and she raised a hand in return. _Maybe I _have_ been pestering him too much._

"Okay, I'll be right back." Elizabeth clutched the books to her chest and hurried back toward the girls' dorm. Florence bit her lip and looked at Mary.

"Are you all right?"

"Me?" Mary forced a smile. All of a sudden her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, as if she had been running. "Y-yeah, I'm just worried about Amadeus."

"Maybe we should go over there and sit down," Florence said, pointing to one of the stone benches by the dorms. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," said Mary. "I'm sure I'll feel better once I've eaten something." The boys were closer now, and Mary motioned to them. "We'll just let them go on ahead and save us a table." Florence didn't look convinced.

"Why don't you go on ahead with the boys, I'll wait here for Elizabeth to come back. I really think you should sit down for a little while. Your face is pale."

"Don't be silly, Florence," Mary said in spite of the fact that her vision had started to sparkle at the edges. It was just like when she used to pass out and she tried to smile, as if that would make things better. "I'm fine. I'm just a little light-" But she didn't get to finish her thought. Instead, she took a step forward and crumpled into a heap on the ground. Florence gasped.

"Mary!"

Both Ikkyu and Mozart turned at the sound of Florence shouting, and broke into a run. Florence knelt beside Mary immediately and put a hand on her forehead, then tapped her cheeks to try and restore her consciousness.

"Mary, wake up!"

In spite of the fact that he had seemed further away, Mozart reached her first and pushed Florence out of the way, reaching automatically for her wrist to check her pulse. It was rote for him after looking out for her for so many years and what he felt told him that that she was in need of immediate medical intervention.

"Her pulse is erratic," Mozart said, shaking his head and looking up at Ikkyu. Whatever quarrels he might have had with Shiro and the others had been forgotten in the moment it took for Mary to lose consciousness. "Something must be wrong with that pacemaker."

"Don't just stand there!" Ikkyu scooped her up and nodded toward the hospital wing. "Hang in there, Mary, I'll get you to the hospital." She was still and quiet against his chest and Ikkyu ran as hard as he could, his arms tight around her shoulders and hips. "It's okay," he said, almost more to himself than her. "It's okay, they'll be able to fix it. You'll be okay."


	11. A Long-Term Solution

_Note: In case it seems familiar, this chapter contains material that was originally in Afterschool Charisma, vol. 1, written out to fit in with this story. Trust me, it's important. Now back to your regularly scheduled fic._

Ikkyu stood with his back against the wall outside her door with his hands jammed in his pockets, his face worried. Mozart studied him carefully. In his hooded sweatshirt and cargo shorts he seemed more like he should be hanging around the dorm instead of standing in a hospital hallway and Mozart looked away from him.

Mary hadn't had any problems like this since she'd had her pacemaker installed, and a part of him couldn't help blaming himself. Ever since she'd started hanging out more with Ikkyu and her friends from the Wollstonecraft Society, he'd had less and less chance to look after her so he didn't know if there had been signs he had missed that something was going wrong. He narrowed his eyes at Ikkyu. Had _he _missed something? If he had, Mozart didn't know if he'd ever be able to forgive him.

The door to Mary's room opened and Dr. Kamiya came out with a chart in his hand. He closed the door behind him and Ikkyu sprang up off the wall.

"Dr. Kamiya! Is she going to be all right?"

"She's stable now," Kamiya said, closing her chart. "But she's asleep. It was just a matter of her pacemaker malfunctioning. We've got an external one supporting her for the moment, and tomorrow we'll replace it."

"Surgery?" Ikkyu looked alarmed. Mozart, however, kept his arms folded over his chest to disguise the worry he felt himself.

"Just a small one. We only need to switch out the housing, the wires can stay in place. She'll be asleep less than two hours." The look of fear on Ikkyu's face made Kamiya smile and he shook his head. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

"Can-can I see her?"

"Like I said, she's asleep. Feel free to sit with her until she wakes up but please don't wake her."

"Thanks." He looked over at Mozart, who shook his head.

"Count me out," he said. "This whole business has stressed me out, and if she's going to live, I'm going to go practice." He looked at Kamiya. "So you're saying she's going to be all right?"

"She should be."

"Fine." With that, Mozart turned on the heel of his polished leather boot and left, leaving Ikkyu with his mouth hanging open.

"Did he-what? What's his problem? I thought they were close."

"They are," Kamiya said, watching him go. "Mozart has his own way of dealing with things." Ikkyu looked as if he didn't understand, so Kamiya went on. "He closes himself off. He'll be back when she wakes up. It's always been that way."

"Always, huh?" Ikkyu looked down the hall. Mozart's blonde hair had just disappeared through one of the doors and he turned back to Kamiya. He didn't have time to worry about whether or not Mozart was acting as crazy as he had at the physical exams. "Thanks," he said, opening Mary's door. "I won't wake her up." Kamiya nodded and went down the hall, reopening her chart as he went.

He didn't know why, but Ikkyu had expected the room to be darker. Instead it was bright and clean, with a variety of machines, all of which were hooked up to Mary. An IV was running from the bag into her arm slowly and he could see wires and something bulky under her hospital shirt. There was a rolling stool against the wall and he pulled it over to her bedside so he could sit down. He had no sooner sat down than Mary moved beneath the blankets and he got up.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked around as if she was trying to figure out where she was, and when she saw Ikkyu, she smiled weakly.

"Hi," she said. "What happened to me?"

"You passed out on the way to the cafeteria. I brought you here," he said quietly. He didn't want Dr. Kamiya to think he'd woken her up. At the same time he wondered if she'd really been unconscious since she arrived. If that was the case, he was happy that he was the first person to see her.

"Have you been here all this time?"

"Yeah," he reached over and took the hand that didn't have the IV in it. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Mary shook her head and squeezed his hand lightly.

"Just tired." She looked around. "Did Amadeus come with you?"

"He just left." Feeling that it was better not to tell her how cold he'd acted, Ikkyu smiled and shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be right back."

"Yeah." Mary seemed sad in spite of his smile and he looked around at her machines. She noticed him looking and shook her head.

"They've got me hooked up to every machine in the hospital," she said. "It must be serious. Did Dr. Kamiya say anything? About what happened?"

"Yeah, he said your pacemaker was messed up and they'll be putting in a new one tomorrow. He said something about an external one until then." Mary looked at the shape under her outfit.

"That must be what this thing is." She pulled her hand out of Ikkyu's and looked under the shirt. "Yep. Some sort of metal box. I wonder how that works." They were both quiet for a minute and she tried to sit up. "I wonder what went wrong. What if the new pacemaker fails too?" Ikkyu didn't have answers to either of her questions, so he just shook his head. "Some improved quality of life. I'm going to be worrying about this for the rest of my life."

"I know this is gonna sound weird right now, but you can't spend all your time worrying about it." She laid back against the pillows and Ikkyu looked for some way to raise the head of her bed. There was a box on the side and he handed it to her. "You've gotta live in the 'now' or it's just gonna make you miserable thinking about it."

"More Buddhist philosophy?" Mary pushed the 'up' button until she was mostly sitting up and Ikkyu nodded.

"That's what I'm here for. Literally."

"Your original would be proud. Giving philosophic advice to a dying woman." Her words alarmed Ikkyu and he moved closer to her.

"You're not dying!"

"We're all dying," she said with a smile. "You're the one who told me that, remember?"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean now." He took her hand again. "You're gonna have another pacemaker and be back at school before you know it. Then we're gonna have the Expo and things'll go back to normal afterward. You'll see. Everything'll be nice and boring again."

"I hope so. This is the wrong kind of interesting."

"No kidding."

Mozart listened to their conversation from his place in the hall. Unable to stay away after all, he had come back to check on her and found that she already had company. He was torn between wanting to go in and talk to her and wanting to let them alone. After a moment's consideration, he pushed himself off the wall and walked back down the hall. She was all right, that was all he had wanted to know. _Now I'll be able to get back to work_, he thought as he left the hospital wing. Even as he told himself this he knew it was a lie, but a necessary one. _As long as she's fine, I don't care what she does._ Another lie. This one carried him back to his room and his piano, where he sat for a long time, staring at the keys in silence.

Nothing came to him and he knew there was nothing to be gained by forcing it, so he laid back on his bed to think instead. Mary was the first thing he thought about and the way she had fallen to the ground had frightened him in a way he hadn't thought possible. When he heard Florence scream and saw Mary on the ground, memories of her other episodes came rushing at him and he'd been able to think of only one thing: that he'd never be able to see her smiling face again. There was no more denying it. He had feelings for her.

He hadn't realized how much he cared until it was too late. He had taken her presence for granted and now that she was spending more time with Ikkyu and his group of friends, he was feeling its absence. Mozart supposed this was the reason he had been so adamant that she not spend time with Amelia and the others, that he was afraid she would abandon him in favor of their company. And here he was the reason that she was with Ikkyu in the first place.

_If I hadn't pushed him to visit her that day_, he thought. _It was only a matter of time before he started to love her. It's impossible to be near her and not. This isn't affection, though, it can't be. It's something else. That's all._

The lies were coming easily to him tonight. Without Mary's hands on the keys beside his, he was having a hard time playing. She had teased him, pushed him to look up from his music once in a while, but she had never wanted him to read her manuscripts. She'd said it was embarrassing, that she was afraid he'd laugh at her. Ikkyu, though, she let Ikkyu read everything. She poured out her heart to him now where she used to talk to Mozart and the thought depressed him further. _Now what? What happens to me now?_

The next morning, Ikkyu hurried through Shiro's training. He had heard the previous day that Mary's surgery was going to be first thing in the morning and he wanted to be there when she went in. He changed out of his gym clothes at top speed, put his foil away and ran outside to pick flowers from around the school beds. Mary had always said she liked them when they walked together and he thought she'd be happier with them than some he'd ordered. Then he went to his room and put on his uniform, forgetting to button the top button in his rush to get to the hospital wing.

When he got there he stopped for a minute in the hall to catch his breath before going into her room. He hoped she hadn't already been taken to surgery. Nevertheless, he didn't want her to know how nervous for her he was so he went in with a smile and his handful of flowers in front of his chest.

Thankfully, Mary was sitting up in her bed and looking much better than the night before. He looked at the side table, where there were already two vases. One was of the sort of cheerful arrangements he had come to expect from Florence, the other was a tall, slender glass with lilies in it. He didn't know why, but they reminded him of Kuroe and he wondered if that's who they were from. Mary saw him looking and smiled over at the flowers.

"Seems like everyone knows I'm going to be in here a while," she said. Ikkyu was about to ask what she meant but the door opened again and Mozart came in with a vase of red roses. He walked past Ikkyu without a greeting and pushed aside the other two vases so that the one he was carrying was front and center.

"Oh. Hi, Mozart." Ikkyu grinned at him but received only an icy glare in reply. He laughed nervously. "I guess everybody had the same thought."

"Yes. I'm sure the florist is working overtime," Mozart said archly. "Three whole vases." Mozart gave a disdainful look to Ikkyu's wildflowers as he passed by. "But I'm sure yours are very nice too." He put a hand on the door and looked back at Mary. "I'll come back later."

"You don't have to-" The door cut off Ikkyu's words and he flinched at the rough way Mozart had closed it. It wasn't quite a slam, but it also wasn't a gentle push. Deciding that Mary was more important than Mozart's mood, he held out the flowers to Mary. "I brought these for you. They're, uh, not as nice as the others, but I thought you'd like them."

"I love them," Mary said, taking them from him and smelling them with a smile. "I'll make sure the nurse puts them in a vase so they can go with the others."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Nervous." She chuckled. "Hungry. They won't let me eat until after the surgery."

"Oh yeah?" Ikkyu wasn't familiar with the way hospitals behaved toward their patients, so this was interesting to him. "Did they tell you when you'll be able to come back to class?"

"No. But it wasn't very long after they put in the first pacemaker, and if they're just switching out the housing like Dr. Kamiya said it should be a couple of days. At least I hope that's the case. I need to get back to work on my presentation for the Expo and see if they've got my new dress ready. I haven't heard anything about it and I really like it."

"Well, if it doesn't show up, there's always your old one. You look nice in it."

"Thanks." There was a short knock on the door and both Mary and Ikkyu looked in its direction.

"Good morning, Mary." Kamiya came through the door with Kuroe, hands behind his back. Ikkyu stood up and looked at them both in surprise. With Mary supposed to have surgery in a few minutes Kamiya was to be expected, but for Kuroe to come with him it either meant something had happened or something was going to happen.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Ikkyu," Kuroe said, smiling. "It's good news."

"Good news?" Mary sat up. "What kind of good news?"

"As you know, we were planning on replacing your pacemaker this morning," Kamiya said, looking back at Kuroe. "Instead, we have the opportunity for a more long-term solution." Mary looked at him curiously and he smiled. "A new heart."

"A-a new _heart_?" Mary looked from Kamiya to Kuroe, then back again. "You're going to do a heart transplant on _me_?"

"It's good news," Kuroe said, giving her a smile. "You'll be able to go back to doing everything you have been, just without worrying about your pacemaker malfunctioning."

"And there should be no concern about rejection," Kamiya added, still smiling. Mary didn't know that she'd ever seen him look so pleased for so long. "It's a heart that's been cloned from your genetic material and tested to make sure it functions properly. You've not only got the chance to have a normal life, you're also going to be one of the first to receive a cloned organ."

"So, uh, when's it gonna happen?" Ikkyu asked tentatively and the two older men looked at him as if they had just noticed he was in the room.

"We're going to proceed with it in just a little while as scheduled," Kamiya said. "The surgeons are already here and waiting."

"Already?" Mary's eyes widened and the heart monitors over her heart began beeping faster.

"Yes. The sooner we get you into surgery the better it will be." Kamiya opened the door to call the nurses to come get Mary and Ikkyu cleared his throat. He couldn't let Mary go without telling her the most important thing. She looked at him, then at the doctor.

"Can you give us a second?" Kamiya and Kuroe looked at each other again, this time uncertainly. "Come on, I might never see him again." She tried to sound as if she was joking but it sounded unconvincing to her own ears, so she could hardly imagine how it sounded to them.

"All right," Kamiya said. "But just a few minutes." He motioned for Kuroe to follow him out of the room. Once they were gone, Ikkyu moved to Mary's bedside.

"It's gonna be okay," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure of it."

"I'm not going to pretend I'm not absolutely terrified," Mary replied, gripping her blanket tightly. "What happens if I don't wake up?"

"You will. I'm sure the guys Dr. Kamiya has to do the surgery are the best. And I'll be waiting for you," he said, half-sitting on the edge of her bed and lacing his fingers through hers. "When you wake up, everything will be better."

"Just in case I don't," Mary replied, squeezing his hands, "Don't forget me."

"As if I could."

"Will-will you tell Amadeus? I know he's been hard to get along with lately, but will you just tell him that I'm grateful for the flowers, and that I'll always be happy I met him?" Ikkyu nodded.

"I promise." The door opened and Dr. Kamiya came back in with Kuroe and two nurses.

"It's time to go," he said. Mary and Ikkyu looked at each other, and he felt her small hands shaking. Without caring that they saw him, he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Mary did the same, and he could feel the external pacemaker digging into his chest. He didn't care.

"Mary, I love you," he said into her ear so that the others wouldn't hear. She hugged him more tightly and dug her fingers into his back.

"I love you too."

"Don't worry, she'll be back soon." The nurses moved to the side of her bed. One of them detached her IV from the pole and hung it on her bed, the other turned off the monitoring equipment and unlocked the wheels. Ikkyu stepped out of their way and watched them wheel Mary out the door. She gave him a small wave as she went, then she was gone. Kuroe stepped over to Ikkyu and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You should get to class," he said. "I'll come get you when she's awake." Unable to speak through the tears he was suppressing, Ikkyu nodded. Kuroe seemed to understand and squeezed his shoulder. "She'll be fine. She's stronger than she looks."

"Yeah, I know." Ikkyu buttoned the top button of his uniform and went into the hall. Mary's bed was already gone and he looked at the place she'd been for a long moment, then took off his glasses and wiped his eyes before heading for the main building. _She'll be okay,_ he thought. _Won't she?_

Concentrating on lectures was never Ikkyu's strong suit, but instead of falling asleep he stared blankly up at the professors for the rest of the day. He was waiting for a chance to talk to Mozart, but it never materialized and all he could think about was the surgery. He kept waiting for Kuroe to come in and tell him it was going to be all right, but he didn't know how long heart surgery took so he just kept looking at the door.

"Hey man, what's up?" Napoleon stood by his desk, arms folded over his chest. "You look like you're about a million miles away."

"Mary's having surgery."

"So? They're just replacing that pacemaker thing of hers, right? It's no big deal."

"No, they changed it at the last minute. Now they're replacing her heart. Mr. Kuroe's supposed to come tell me when she's awake." Ikkyu shook his head. "I dunno, man. I'm just worried that something's gonna go wrong."

"Things'll be okay," Napoleon said, echoing Ikkyu's sentiment from earlier. "If they can grow us clones, they'll be able to replace a heart, no problem. Come on," he said, slapping Ikkyu on the back. "Let's get something to eat. We've got PE after lunch."

"Great," Ikkyu said, standing up. He honestly didn't know how much he was going to be able to eat, but at least PE would take his mind off Mary and the surgery for a little while. He might even get his chance to talk to Mozart in the locker room.

His plans were all completely ruined when he found out they would be fencing. With all the training he had been doing with Shiro, he had a feeling he was going to try and challenge Mozart after class. If things went that way, there was no way Mozart was going to be in any hurry to talk to him. Immediately after they finished class, Shiro stepped forward and Ikkyu's heart started pounding. His baby bird was about to leave the nest and he wasn't sure he was ready to fly.

"Mozart! I challenge you to a duel!" Shiro stood in front of him, hands clenched into fists. "If I win, I want you to apologize for what you said the other day!"

Mozart looked at Shiro pityingly. The boy had no idea what he was getting into. Mozart looked around the room at the faces of the other students and he saw that Ikkyu looked like he was about to cheer Shiro on. For some reason that made him angrier than Shiro's impertinence and he turned away with a sigh.

"Hey! Wait!" Shiro put a hand on his shoulder and Mozart felt a surge of anger run through his body like lightning. He whipped around and slapped Shiro's hand off him.

"I told you not to touch me! You don't know when to quit, do you?" Shiro glared at him, his eyes full of surprise and anger. "Fine! I accept! If I win, I want you to stay out of my sight from now on. You're an eyesore!"

"Fine," Shiro said, gritting his teeth. "It's a deal." Mozart chuckled as they stood facing each other in the traditional stance.

"You don't actually expect to beat me, do you? You've got to be kidding!" He dropped his mask on the floor. "We'll dispense with the electronic score detectors. It'll be over too quickly if we use them. I want to give you a fighting chance at least. Just hit my body once and you win! Now," he said, raising his foil and pointing at Shiro's chest. "Let's begin."

"You can do it, Shiro!" Ikkyu was standing on the sidelines watching with Napoleon and Freud, and his voice made Mozart tighten his grip on his foil. _He must have been helping Shiro train_, he thought irritably. _The boy certainly picked the right clone to do it. Nevertheless, there's no way I'm going to lose._

The match began and from the first second it was obvious that they were unevenly matched. Mozart jabbed Shiro so many times he was unable to count, and every time he thought of the music he couldn't write, the way Mary always walked away from him with Ikkyu, and the way he hadn't been able to sleep properly for days. He went after the boy mercilessly, not letting up for the slightest second until Shiro stumbled backward and hit the ground. His foil flew up and the tip grazed Mozart's cheek, right under his eye.

"Watch out!" From across the room, Ikkyu and Napoleon shouted.

Mozart snapped. Shiro got up and went over to him. His mouth was moving and Mozart was sure he was asking if he was all right, but his anger was boiling over and he smacked Shiro with his foil across the chest.

"You're already dead." Then, while Shiro was staring at him, he brought his knee up and into Shiro's midsection. "Learn your place, loser." Then Napoleon was shouting at him, Ikkyu had come over to see if Shiro was all right and the rest of the clones were dispersing, having nothing interesting to see any longer. They argued, but Mozart barely registered any of it, he was so angry. Words came out of his mouth but they made no sense in his head, and yet they continued to come. Finally he decided that Shiro and his entourage had enough and walked away. Freud was standing by the door with his arms folded across his chest and Mozart stared at him. "Do you have something to say too?"

"No," said Freud. "It seems fair. It was a duel, after all. Only I'm surprised to see a prodigy like you all bent out of shape over the likes of Shiro. I'm wondering what's got you so on edge. That's all." Mozart gave him a hard look, then turned and left the gym.

After class, he didn't go to the conservatory as usual, knowing that Mary would likely be waiting for him there. He didn't want to talk to anyone, didn't want to see anyone, and definitely didn't want to see her walking with Ikkyu. He went back to his room, walked past his private piano, and looked at the sheet music that was on his desk. It was half-written, sloppy, and had been crossed out.

Another shot of anger went through him and he crunched it in his hand, not wanting to even look at it. Then, as if he was possessed, he tore up another piece and another until he was down to the blank sheets, then tore those as well, casting the pieces about his room. Still, it wasn't enough. He had to eradicate everything that looked like music or reminded him of music, and there was only one way to do so. He picked up the chair from his desk and slammed it across the top of his piano. It made a huge, terrible sound and he smashed it down again and again until he was satisfied.

Once everything was in shambles, he sat in the corner by his bookshelf with his arms hugging his knees to his chest. Everything was wrong. His entire world had been turned upside-down and they still expected him to write?

_I'm so proud of you, Amadeus!_ Mary's voice echoed in his ear and he pushed her away as easily as he had pushed her away when she came to listen to him play. He didn't want her around, especially didn't want her in his head, and he put his head in his hands.

_I can't do this. Not anymore._


	12. To Be With You

"Letter for you, Ikkyu-Sensei."

"A letter?" Frowning slightly, Ikkyu took the envelope from the young monk and turned it over. It was heavy and bulky, like there was a book inside but there was no return address and it looked as if it had traveled a long way. "Thank you, Kizashi." The monk bowed to Ikkyu and went back down the hall to the main hall.

Ikkyu went into his room and sat on the tatami with his legs sprawled out, as if he was sitting on the floor of the game room at St. Kleio. When the others weren't around, he was able to relax a bit. Here at the temple, the pressure of being Ikkyu was all around him. He missed his friends, wondered what they were doing, but accepted that they were in the world where they belonged just as he was. The thought that the letter might be from one of them popped into his head and he opened it eagerly. A book fell into his lap, then an envelope, which he opened first. When he saw the familiar handwriting across the page, his heart stopped.

_My dearest Ikkyu,_

_I hope this letter finds its way to you eventually. I'm not even sure you can get mail where you are but if there's even a chance my words will reach you again, it's worth a try._

_I'm doing well. My writing is coming along nicely and my heart is still working as it should. The doctor keeps warning me that I might need a pacemaker again at some point in the future. My writing is actually the reason for this letter._

_You see, while I was doing some research I came across an old manuscript of my original's that not even her family knew existed. In fact, apart from the fact that it was in her things there was no indication she'd written anything so late in her life. The odd thing about it is that it is very similar to the novel I just had published, so much so that if I had written my work after it had been discovered they would have assumed I copied it._

_It got me to thinking. How did I come up with this idea? It took some searching but according to my original's journal it was based on some dreams she had. Amadeus liked to say that he was Mozart, but he wasn't really Mozart, and to some extent I think we all feel the same way. Seeing my original's manuscript next to mine, though, I began to wonder if that was really the case. She was Mary Shelley, but I am also Mary Shelley. I wonder how much of my memories were once hers as well._

_We talked so much at St. Kleio about reincarnation and the good works of our originals that this line of thought could hardly cross my mind without remembering the time we spent together._

_I miss you, Ikkyu. When I remember how it felt to be in your arms, only to open my eyes and find only your absence, I feel as if half of my soul is missing. I hear your voice still, laughing and telling me that everything will be all right, and an uncontrollable need to contact you was borne from my thoughts on our past selves and my missing you._

_If it is possible, I hope to hear from you._

_ Mary Shelley_

Beneath the signature on her letter, a return address in England was written. Next Ikkyu opened the book and turned to the first page, then smiled fondly when he read the dedication.

_ For Ikkyu, far from my reach and my voice, but never far from my heart._

He read her letter again, her voice still clear in his head, then went to his dresser and found paper and a pen. He wasn't necessarily sure how to send it to her but he was sure Kizashi would know how. After all, he was the temple's main contact with the outside world. He supposed he could think of the monk as a sort of personal assistant but that seemed odd to him.

As he composed the letter to Mary, he realized he'd been speaking Japanese almost exclusively since he came to the temple. _All those years of lessons really paid off_, he thought. When his thoughts to Mary began to flow, however, it was in English and he welcomed the return to his first language.

The words flowed from his pen easily. He told her of missing her, the days at the temple, his happiness at seeing her letter, and the love he still had for her. Although poetry wasn't his strong suit – unlike his original – he wrote something in Japanese with the promise that he would translate it for her one day when they saw each other. Then he assured her that they _would _see each other again, just as they had promised, signed his name and carefully folded the paper. Once he had sealed it into the envelope, he got up from his table and went to find Kizashi.

He found him in the hall with their giant altar, changing the offering of flowers that was starting to wilt. Another monk was with him and bowed to him as soon as he walked in. It was still strange to him to have anyone deferring to him and he bowed in return.

"Kizashi, do we have a mailing address?"

"Of course," Kizashi said, turning away from his work and coming down from the dais where the altar was kept. "You're corresponding with the one who sent you that letter?" Ikkyu nodded and Kizashi looked at the address.

"I hope it's okay that I wrote it in English."

"As I understand, the post office will handle that. After all, the one made it to you with an address in English." This hadn't occurred to Ikkyu and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Mary Shelley. A friend from school?"

"Yeah. It's really important that she gets this letter," Ikkyu said. "I want her to know her package got here safely."

"She must be a very special friend," Kizashi said, understanding immediately. Ikkyu blushed and laughed. "Very well. I'll make sure this gets to the post office myself."

"Thanks."

"Are you ready for this evening's dharma talk? There's a group scheduled who has come all the way from Hokkaido to hear you speak." He motioned for Ikkyu to follow him and they walked down the hall to the room that served as Kizashi's office. There was a computer there and Ikkyu wondered if he should ask for Mary's email address. He immediately vetoed the idea, thinking she would prefer a regular letter, even if it took a while to get to her.

"Yeah, sure, no problem." Ikkyu grinned at Kizashi, who raised an eyebrow at him. Ikkyu knew that the monk had hoped that the time he had spent in the temple would make him takes things a little more seriously, but being serious had never been his strong suit. The people that came to the services seemed to like it though, and both attendance and donations had increased accordingly. "How long do you think that'll take to get to St. Kleio?"

"A couple of weeks. Would you prefer to use the computer?"

"Maybe later." Ikkyu walked past him and looked out the window that overlooked the garden. Two monks were outside, taking care of the plants. All of them were older than him. He knew that they were hoping that having him here would also encourage younger people to become ordained. "I'm just gonna be in my room," he said. "Let me know when you need me."

"Of course."

Leaving Kizashi to his business, Ikkyu went back down to his room and pulled shut the door. Then he sat by his table and picked up Mary's letter. He read through it again, his eyes lingering on each word. Then he carefully folded it up, put it back in its envelope, then picked up her book. If there was one thing he had, it was plenty of spare time.

In spite of the hundreds of hours she'd spent with tutors and studying the language, Mary was still intimidated by Japan. She could even read most of the signs, even though many of them had English as well as Japanese on them, especially in the airport and on the trains. Still, she was nervous about trying her skills on the locals so she avoided saying more than "Excuse me" if she had to, hoping that she wouldn't need to ask for directions.

The temple was one of the main attractions of the town she arrived in as the sun was setting, so all she'd had to do was say its name for the taxi driver to know where she wanted to go. She tipped the driver well when he let her off at the front path and he bowed with his head. Mary bowed back before he drove off, then looked at the temple.

It was larger than she had expected, and a bit more ornate. The path she was standing on was made of large, flat stones that had been arranged into a road that led to the temple's front doors. Around one side, she could see men dressed in black with brown apron-like coverings that she recognized as the kesa worn by the monks. Behind the temple, a lake spread in all directions. The sun was turning the water orange and Mary felt a sense of peace coming over her. She hoisted her computer bag further up her shoulder and tightened her grip on her duffel bag, then started toward the temple.

As she got closer, she noticed that the water had made it far enough around the temple to lap gently at the stones on one side. Mary looked up again at the three-story temple with its golden top and found herself even more impressed.

Her house in England was nowhere near this fine. The Shelley estate was a historical treasure, and while the family had encouraged her to live in it, she had declined because she didn't want to live in constant view of a tour group. To that end, however, she did her work in the estate so that people could come see Clone Mary Shelley whenever they liked. At night, though, she went home to a small house on the estate's property that she was told had once been servants' quarters. It was comfortable, and there was even room for a baby grand piano. She liked it quite a bit.

_Well, I'm here now,_ she thought, tucking a strand of hair that had been separated from the others behind her ear. _I suppose I should stop standing here and staring._ She hurried the last few steps to the front doors of the temple, then stopped again. _Do I knock? Is that considered rude?_

While Mary was trying to decide how to proceed, one of the monks slid open the door and came out with a broom in his hand. He seemed surprised to see her and she wondered suddenly if it was past their visiting hours.

_"Konnichi wa,"_ she said nervously.

_"Konnichi wa. Kinkaku-ji e youkoso,"_ said the monk pleasantly, bowing to Mary. He motioned for her to enter the temple and she did, returning his bow. She looked around at the entrance, where small wooden shelves were placed to the sides. From her research, she knew that this was where she took off her shoes and did so without being asked. The monk was speaking very quickly to her and she understood enough to know that he was asking if she came to pray but the rest was lost on her. She shook her head.

"Um...er..." She'd been practicing the words ever since she left England but they seemed to be stuck in her throat. The monk looked at her curiously and she gave him a smile. "_Ikkyu-sensei o sagashimasu. Kare wa kono toki ni itte?"_ She spoke slowly, stumbling slightly over her words but pronouncing them well.

"Ah! Ikkyu-sensei! _Hai, wakarimasu._" Mary understood that he was saying that he understood and she breathed a sigh of relief. She expected him to go find Ikkyu but before they could attempt to communicate further, a second monk came down the hall and looked at her curiously. This one was younger than the first, but still looked around Kuroe's age and his face showed no expression. It made her even more nervous.

"Ikkyu-Sensei has gone into the hills to meditate," said the second monk. He spoke in perfect English and the woman looked relieved. "He is not here at this moment." He saw the crestfallen look on the newcomer's face, then shook his head. "You will have to come back another time." Mary hadn't expected this, but she had dealt with setbacks before. All this meant was that she would have to try out her Japanese at a hotel.

"All right," she said with a nod. "I'll do that."

"It could be some time," the monk said firmly. "Days, or even weeks."

"That's fine," said Mary with a smile. "As long as I know he'll return, I'll wait." She bowed again politely. "Thank you for your time, sir." Disappointed though she was, Mary had found out the most important thing. Ikkyu was there. She was closer to him than she'd been in two years. A little while longer meant nothing to her.

"Wait," the monk said, before she had even put her shoes back on. "Come back, miss." She turned and gave him a curious look as he beckoned her to return. "I was testing you."

"Testing?"

"Only someone who was truly determined to meet with Sensei and learn from his teachings would agree to return after being turned away following such a long journey. Please, come inside." Still looking a bit bewildered, Mary followed him into the temple. The other, older monk went back outside to sweep. "My name is Kizashi, and I am Ikkyu-sensei's assistant."

"Pleased to meet you, Kizashi-san," she replied, bowing her head. "I'm Mary. I'm, ah, I'm a writer from England and I went to school with Ikkyu."

"Mary? Mary Shelley?" The monk turned to look at her, surprised. She nodded and he bowed all the way to his waist. "I ask that you forgive me, Shelley-sama. I had no idea. You see, I've never seen a photograph."

"That's quite all right," Mary said, looking confused. "Even in a British bookstore people don't know my face, so I certainly don't expect you to. Besides," she went on, stepping up onto the wooden floor, "I don't want any special treatment."

"You don't need to worry about a thing," he went on, as if he hadn't heard her. "You're our guest and we're honored to have you here. Did you bring luggage?"

"What?" Mary looked confused. "No, I only have what's on me," she said, holding out the small duffel bag and motioning to the computer case slung over her shoulder. Kizashi led her to the end of the hall where a flight of wooden stairs that were as highly polished as the rest of the floor led up to the second story.

"I'm afraid we don't have anything so lavish here as guest rooms," he said apologetically. "However, you may put your things in here and we'll prepare a futon for you to rest. Have you slept on a futon before?" She shook her head and he smiled. "Well, no matter. It's quite comfortable but it will probably take a bit of getting used to. Did you come all the way from England today?"

"Yes. I flew here, then took the train. This-" Mary hesitated, then smiled broadly. "I wanted to come here first."

"You must be hungry from your journey, then."

"A bit," said Mary, setting her bags down by the small table. "But there's really no need for you to go to any trouble. Now that I know where the temple is, I can go get dinner and come back. I have plenty of money."

"No trouble. It's no trouble at all for you. I'm afraid we eat rather plainly but you're welcome to anything we have. As I said before, you are our guest."

"Kizashi-san, I appreciate your kindness, but why all this fuss? I assure you there's no need."

"Of course there is," he said, smiling placidly. "Ikkyu-sensei always told me that if Mary Shelley arrived, it would be his greatest joy. Every letter that was sent to you was taken personally to the post office by either him or me, in spite of the fact that he's something of a celebrity here. You're of the utmost importance to him, which means that you're equally important to the rest of us. I only wish he was here at this moment to welcome you."

"I wish he was, too." Touched by the monk's kindness, she smiled back at him. "But what will be will be, and I'll just look forward to seeing him when he returns."

"There's no need to wait. I'll take you to him tomorrow morning." Kizashi led her to the window and pointed to the tree-covered hills to the side of the temple that wasn't facing the water. "There's a small shack up on the side of that hill. Ikkyu-sensei often goes there to meditate." This made Mary smile. Even now, he still liked being outside.

"Thank you. Have you already had evening service? It would be an honor for me to meditate with you."

"Our formal service has already concluded, but please feel free to sit in the hall as long as you like. You may join our formal chanting in the morning if you like, before I take you to Ikkyu-sensei." He smiled. "Of course, we only chant in Japanese. But I can provide you with a book, if you're able to read it."

"That would be nice. I can follow along as best I can. My Japanese is..." Mary blushed and looked at the ground. "I can read it better than I speak it. You speak English so well," she said, turning from the window to Kizashi. "You must have studied it a long time."

"My parents were very strict about my learning it from the time I was in elementary school. I am the one who handles most of the outside business of the temple, so it is important that I am fluent. Nearly all foreigners speak some English."

"I see." She looked back outside at the water, then opened her duffel bag and took out a rosary. "I think I would like to sit in the temple for a while. You have such a beautiful place here. It's almost impossible to find a temple in England at all." Kizashi motioned for her to follow him and they went back downstairs.

"Are you Buddhist, then, Shelley-sama?"

"Yes. Ikkyu taught me so much about it when we were at school, and I continued to practice after we graduated." She smiled. "I have a _butsudan _at my house, though it's nowhere near as nice as this," she said, looking up at the altar. Kizashi brought two cushions and handed them to her. "Thank you. I really appreciate this."

"It's no trouble. If you wish, I can come get you when it's time to eat."

"That would be nice, thank you." Mary took the cushions from him and arranged them on the floor. "But please, don't go to any trouble on my account. I'm perfectly happy to eat whatever you guys eat every day." Kizashi nodded as she sat down and looked at the altar. He disappeared almost silently and she noticed he was wearing the same white socks that Ikkyu had always joked about being a pain at the Expo. It made her realize that she really was close to him again and she smiled. Then she pressed her hands together and tried to clear her mind.

_I'm here,_ she thought. _I'm really here._

Morning came to the hills and Ikkyu got up from the thin mat he had slept on the night before. He washed his face in the basin by the door, then dried it and went to the window. The sun had long since risen and he sighed deeply.

"Another day," he said to no one. The shack creaked in reply and he looked up at the roof. It looked like it could come in at any time and he wondered how he'd never noticed it before. "So much for being mindful." He made a note in his head to tell Kizashi the shack needed some maintenance, then took another straw mat outside to sit on.

He didn't usually spend the night in the little shack, he just visited it when he wanted to be alone. There weren't any groups scheduled for a dharma talk the day before, so he thought it was the perfect time to come up and try to clear his mind. It had been hard to do that lately, so he thought that sleeping in the hills might help. It hadn't.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Ikkyu spread the little mat on the flat space in the trees he had been using for the last two years when he needed to get out of the temple, then took a seat on it. He closed his eyes and crossed his legs, breathing deeply in and out. _Thinking about the past won't help anything. I can only worry about the present. _That was precisely the problem, though, and he sighed. It seemed that this day was only going to be the same as the one before.

His eyes were still closed when a branch cracked behind him and he sighed again. It was almost certainly Kizashi, come to tell him that he was needed back at the temple. At the moment, Ikkyu didn't care who wanted to see him, or who had come to hear him speak. All he wanted to do was be alone with his thoughts. Ikkyu turned to say he had specifically requested not to be disturbed, only to be silenced by the sight of Mary standing at the head of the path, with Kizashi, looking nervous.

Her hair was shorter than he remembered, and she was wearing a pair of black pants with a deep purple sweater. More important than that, however, was the way her eyes were as wide and clear as they had been the last time they had seen one another, and how he was still the only one in them. She reached into her sweater and pulled out a thin silver chain, on the end of which was a small silver square. She held it up and he scrambled to his feet.

"M-Mary? Is that really you?"

"Of course it is," she said, laughing just a little. "Who else would it be?"

Unable to answer, he took a few dreamlike steps toward her, his mouth open. When words continued to fail him, he reached out instead and pulled her into his arms. Mary wrapped her own arms around him and held him tightly.

"Mary," he said softly. "My Mary. I'm so happy to see you."

"I'm glad to see you too," she said, tears overflowing onto her cheeks the same way they had when they had to part at the car at St. Kleio. "I've missed you so much." She looked over at where Kizashi had been standing to thank him, but he was gone. When Ikkyu realized they were alone, he kissed her for the first time since they had parted.

It was as if they were magnets that someone had run a current through. They continued to kiss, holding each other tightly, both crying from their happiness. Ikkyu finally pulled away from her, took off his glasses, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't take it anymore," she said. "I escaped."

"Escaped?" Ikkyu looked alarmed and she shook her head.

"I told them I had to come to Japan for a little while for some research. They weren't happy to lose their star attraction, but they want me to keep producing and my original did write books about her travels so..." She shrugged and put her arms around Ikkyu's neck. "Here I am."

"I'm so happy," he said, putting his arms around her waist and looking into her eyes. "I just can't believe you're standing here in front of me. I've been so worried about you."

"Worried?"

"When I didn't hear from you for six months I was worried something happened. That's why I came up here to meditate." He laughed. "It might be hard for you to believe, but sometimes I can't hear myself think down here."

Mary laughed. The temple was so quiet she could have heard a pin drop, but she also remembered how much Ikkyu liked to listen to music while he was studying. She could just imagine him going up into the mountains so he could put on his headphones and think about things without anyone watching him.

"C'mon, let's go back to the temple," Ikkyu said, taking her hand. They no longer had to worry about anyone seeing them, and he was going to take advantage of this fact as much as possible. "I can't believe you came all the way from England just to see me. How long are you staying?"

"I didn't bring many clothes, so a week. Maybe two." She squeezed his hand. "I wish I could stay with you forever but I do have to get back to England."

"Yeah. Well I'm gonna make this the best two weeks you ever spent."

"Have you heard from anyone else?"

"Napoleon wrote a couple of times, but he's pretty busy. You?" Mary shook her head and he looked at her curiously. "How's Mozart?" He was sorry to see Mary look down at the ground and shake her head slowly. "Oh."

"I suppose he's all right," Mary said. "I went to a concert of his work a few months ago but he wasn't actually playing. It was just some other piano player doing his things. And I would have heard if anything happened to him. I keep writing to him but I've never gotten a response longer than a paragraph. I guess he's still mad at me."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"It sorta is." They were at the path that led to the back door of the temple. "So what do you think of my temple? Isn't it crazy?"

"It's beautiful. The water all around it is amazing and the hills are beautiful. And the temple itself is beautiful too. It's all so calm." They were within the view of one of the monks that was in the garden and Mary automatically tried to pull her hand away from Ikkyu's. He held onto it firmly and she looked up at him.

"It's cool. Trust me." They continued to hold hands until they were in the vestibule and needed to take off their shoes. Mary giggled slightly when she saw that he was wearing the white socks. "What's so funny?"

"I was just remembering you back at school," she said. When you used to wear your tennis shoes with your robes before the Expo."

"Yeah, I wish I could do that here. It would be way more comfortable than these stupid sandals." They stepped up into the temple and Mary followed him to the stairs. Kizashi was in his office and Ikkyu pointed toward it. "That's Kizashi's office. He's the one who maintains the web page and schedules group events. He's pretty awesome, once you get used to him." They reached the second floor. "This is where the other monks live. Aside from Kazashi, there are four guys. There used to be a woman monk, but she left a few years before I showed up."

"Oh no," Mary groaned. "That's where I stayed last night. They must have all been put out."

"Is that your stuff?" Mary nodded and he went over to get it. "What's this, your computer?" Mary nodded again and he slung the bag over his shoulder. "Come on up to the third floor."

"What's on the third floor?" From the outside, the third floor was the smallest, but when they got up to it, it looked much more spacious. Mary looked around at the window that went all the way around the room. From them, she could see all the water and the hills and her heart began pounding. It was all so beautiful.

"This whole place is mine," he said, holding his arms out. "My own private place to write stuff, meditate, and be bored out of my head sometimes. Oh, and read books." Ikkyu pointed to a bookshelf, where the only book in English was one that looked like it had seen better days. Mary was unsurprised to see it was hers. While she was looking, Ikkyu put her things down. "You can stay up here for the rest of the time. I've got, like, the biggest futon ever."

"Oh," Mary said, suddenly turning to him. "I don't want you to be put out either."

"I'm not gonna be," Ikkyu said. "I'm gonna stay up here with you."

"W-with you?" The implications of this made Mary's face burn and she laughed nervously. "Is-is that going to be all right with the others?"

"Doesn't matter," he said. "All that matters is that you and I are together again, and that we're gonna stay together. Unless you don't wanna sleep with me." This made Mary blush even harder and he came over to put his arms around her. "It's all right. Everything's all right now."

"I know," Mary said, leaning against his chest and smiling. His heart was beating as hard as hers and she closed her eyes. "It's all so different here. It's like we're a million miles away from anything and everything that happened at St. Kleio."

"Yeah. How's your heart doing?"

"No problems. Dr. Kamiya was right, there are still no signs of rejection, and no sign that it's got the same defect as my first one. Except for this huge scar, it's like none of it ever happened." Mary looked up at him. "I didn't do any damage to it when I freaked out at the Expo, either."

"The Expo," Ikkyu said with a sigh. "You still think about it too? How it all happened?"

"Of course," Mary said, putting her head back on his chest. "How could I forget? How can any of us forget?" Ikkyu didn't say anything, only leaned his head on hers and closed his own eyes. The Expo was the last thing he wanted to think about, but it came back with a force they both thought the years would have mitigated. It hadn't.


	13. The Shelley Project

Rasputin's presentation was dragging on, so Ikkyu had slid partway down in his seat in the balcony and was starting to doze off. Far below the school in a safe, locked room, Mozart sat watching Shiro and a little Marie Curie clone. And in one of the Strikers' hands was a smartphone that would put an end to all of it.

Mary was halfway dozing when she heard the explosion, so at first she thought she had dreamed it. She sat up straight and looked out the window, only to find that smoke was pouring out of the part of the building where she knew the auditorium was located. Her breath caught in her throat. _Ikkyu_, she thought. _Amadeus. My God, they're both probably in there for the presentations!_ In the hallway she could hear the nurses running past her room and she pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to calm her thoughts down enough to figure out a way to get to them.

"-an explosion! Did you hear it?" One of the nurses, standing outside her door was breathless and a male voice spoke.

"Calm down! They're going to need all of us on the scene as soon as possible. Gather as many first aid supplies as you can and I'll call Kuroe to find out what we're supposed to do."

_Mr. Kuroe_, Mary thought. _That's right, he'll know what to do. Please let him come here,_ she prayed, her eyes focused on the pillar of smoke that seemed to be getting larger instead of smaller. _Please, Mr. Kuroe, I need you to help Ikkyu and Amadeus._

The wait to see if Kuroe would come was agonizing and Mary tried to keep herself from thinking about what could have happened. She didn't know what was going on in the school and it was driving her crazy. Hoping they would have some sort of information, she pressed the nurse's call button and made her bed sit up. When no one came, Mary knew she had been abandoned.

_I can't just lay here. Maybe I could make it to the school building._ Her thoughts were cut off by screams from the courtyard and she looked up at the ECG machine, oxygen meter, and IV that had her tied to her bed. _Oh my God, what's happening out there?_

Before she could make any decisions, the door to her room slid open and Mary breathed a sigh of relief. The first thing that registered for Mary was the wavy blonde hair of the young man that had come inside. It wasn't Kuroe, but it was all right. A wave of warmth flooded her and she smiled, knowing at least one of them was safe. "Amadeus," she said, relieved. It took her almost a minute to realize that it wasn't Mozart, at least not the Mozart she knew.

"You call him that too. Interesting." He considered Mary carefully for a moment and she frowned. The features of the man were the same as Mozart's but he was at least ten years older. Rather than falling past his shoulders, the blonde hair was just below his chin and there was a look of determination in his eyes that she found terrifying.

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? You've already said it. I'm Amadeus." His blue eyes found hers and held them for a long moment. "And you're Mary."

"How do you know who I am?" Her voice was filled with caution. As far as she knew, there was nothing on her door that identified who she was. In addition, the man who had called himself Amadeus was dressed entirely in black, his outfit recalling the ones she had seen on the guards around the school since Kennedy was assassinated.

"I know because you look exactly like her."

"Like who?" Everything he was saying made her more confused. It hit her then and she frowned. "You can't mean-"

"They didn't tell you?"

"There was no other Mary Shelley. I'm the first generation," Mary said. "They told me that when I was younger."

"They lied," the older Mozart said. "_My_ Mary was the first generation. You know how your original died, don't you?"

"Yes, she had cancer." The words sent a chill through Mary. She had known all her life how Mary Shelley had died, and she had obsessed over it every time she had a headache when she was younger. The doctors had always told her it wasn't a problem, that it was her heart they were worried about. "Brain cancer."

"That's right. Very good. But _you_ don't have brain cancer. And you're not going to. The scientists at the lab made sure of that. You see, they wanted to see if they could find and remove that cancer gene while the fetus was still growing. What a boon that would be to medicine! It required some fiddling with your genes, repeated testing and failing that couldn't be risked on a regular person. Not someone that mattered. It had to be someone that was a throwaway, that it wouldn't matter if they accidentally killed because they could just make another." Mozart shook his head. "How many Marys died, I don't know. But after my Mary died just before the Expo, the baby Mary mysteriously disappeared along with her."  
>"Baby Mary?"<p>

"At the Expo, they hauled out the next generation of clones for us to hold during the opening ceremony. I wanted to see you so badly. It would have been almost like seeing her again. But they told me there was no next generation for Mary." He shook his head and laughed. "Now you're here, and their tinkering has cured your cancer. The only problem is that for some reason your heart has failed. No worries, though, because now they want to know if they really can clone a new heart for a person. And here you were, ready made for their experiment. They were able to grow it, check it for the same defect that caused your other heart to fail, and now see how it works once the transplant is complete. Will it function? Will it reject?" He looked at the floor, disgusted. "You have to wonder if they grew your heart separately or if there's another Mary Shelley in a freezer somewhere, who was grown for the sole purpose of providing you with a heart."

"Th-they wouldn't do that," Mary said, feeling lightheaded. "Dr. Kamiya told me-"

"He also told you that you were the only Mary, didn't he?"

Mary was silent. She wanted to protest more, to say that there was no way any of it was true and that she trusted Dr. Kamiya, but the words wouldn't come.

"You aren't even a clone like the others, Mary. You and all the other Mary Shelleys are a series of medical experiments that just happened to survive. The only reason you're at St. Kleio is because they can observe you here. They might have even given you a bad heart on purpose, since you were an experiment anyway. If they can cure your cancer, is that really so far-fetched?"  
>"Where did you hear this? Who told you-"<br>"Director Rockswell, of course. It's amazing just how much he likes to talk." Mozart chuckled and took a gun from a holster under his arm. "Though I suppose I'm not one to talk right about now." He leveled the gun at Mary's head. Her heart started pounding in her chest, its beats echoed by the tones from the ECG machine.

"Y-you came to kill me?" There was a strange, tinny taste in Mary's mouth as she looked at the gun in Mozart's hand. That he should be holding it and wearing her Mozart's face seemed obscene and her chest tightened. After everything that had happened to her, this was how she was going to die.

"I'm not killing you," he said, as if trying to convince both of them. "I'm saving you. From the pain she went through and the miserable life you would have had as a clone. You're Mary Shelley, but you're _not_ Mary Shelley. You'll never be her and it's going to drive you mad." He cocked the gun, a sound that was as flat and dead as his voice as he told her future.

"Can you tell me something first?" Mary looked at him, not his gun. His hand was steady and it scared her. She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to kill her, that everything was going to be all right, but she knew it wouldn't make a difference. Instead, she asked the only question that mattered at that moment. "Are Ikkyu and Amadeus already dead?"

"Ikkyu?" Mozart looked confused for a moment, then smiled when he realized it. "Ah, I see. So it's not me this time." He shook his head. "Whether or not he's already been killed I don't know. He didn't have a predecessor, but someone will take care of it. That's our goal." He took his eyes off her for a moment and looked out the window. "We're going to kill all of you."

"Is that what all this is? That explosion?" Mary kept her eyes on his face and Mozart chuckled again. He sighed and turned back to her.

"As for my clone, he's still alive. I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to take care of him. It's only proper that I should do it." He dropped his eyes briefly. "I held him when he was a baby. I can't let anyone else do it for me."

"All right," Mary said, nodding. "Then kill me."

"What?" Mozart jerked his head up and looked at her in disbelief.

"Go ahead. Just promise you'll make it quick." She sat up and closed her eyes. "If my only alternative is to live in a world without Ikkyu and Amadeus, then I'd rather go now."

"Of course," Mozart said. "I would never want her...you...to suffer." His voice faltered for a moment as he looked at Mary. Her perfect posture, showing not a hint of fear, reminded him of his own Mary years earlier. The way she looked with her eyes closed reminded him painfully of how he had seen her when they kissed for the first time and his hand shook for the first time.

_I can't_, he thought in despair. _I can't kill Mary._ He lowered his gun and took a step back. Mary opened her eyes and looked at him again, and Mozart saw more than he had expected. He shook his head. _I'll send someone else. I'll make sure someone kills her. But I can't do it. I can't._ He backed out of the room and Mary sat forward in her bed.

"Wait," she said, reaching out to him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Mary," he said. "Forgive me, I just can't." With a look of horror on his face, Mozart stuck the gun back into his jacket, turned and ran out the door, leaving her with her hand outstretched.

"Wait! Amadeus!"

There was no sound but his boots on the linoleum of the hallway.

"This way," Kuroe said, motioning for Ikkyu and Florence Nightingale to follow him down the stairs to the ballroom. They were both silent and he couldn't imagine how they were feeling. They'd both had guns to their heads and seen three people shot to death inches from their faces, and he hadn't been able to do anything about it. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No," Ikkyu said, looking at Florence. She was staring at the ground as she walked, her hands clasped in front of her chest. "Are you hurt, Nightingale?"

"What?" Florence looked at him as if she had just realized he was there. "N-no, I'm fine."

"The doctors will check you out anyway," Kuroe said, pushing open the door to the stairs so they could get past him. Florence didn't say anything and Ikkyu thanked him for both of them.

The ballroom was filled with clones that had been evacuated from the auditorium and brought in from the courtyard where the burning had taken place. Kuroe led Florence and Ikkyu to a bench where a woman dressed in white was checking people over. They sat down together and Kuroe motioned for the nurse to come over.

"Make sure they get checked out," he said. "I've got to go back in and see if there's anyone else inside." The nurse nodded and Kuroe sighed. Most of the VIPs had been led to safety and from the looks of it so had most of the clones. Now he had the unpleasant duty of searching the scene of the explosion for casualties. "Do we have everyone from the hospital wing on hand to treat the survivors?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hey, Mr. Kuroe?" Ikkyu leaned toward Kuroe, getting his attention without raising his voice. "Is Mary okay? I mean, she's still in the hospital wing, right?"

The words stabbed Kuroe in the chest, wiping thoughts of survivors and casualties out of his head. He looked at Ikkyu in horror, then ran out of the ballroom without a word to either of them. _Dammit, I can't believe I forgot about Mary!_

Ikkyu stood staring after Kuroe while Florence sat down to be checked over. Judging from Kuroe's reaction to his question, Mary was still in the hospital wing but he didn't know if she was safe or not. The clones that had tried to kill him and Florence were dead but no one knew how many more of them there were.

An unpleasant thought crossed Ikkyu's mind. If some of them had gone to the hospital wing and there was no one there to protect her the way Kuroe and the guards had protected him and Florence, then there was a very good chance she had been killed. He looked around the room. It seemed that Kuroe was right, that every nurse and doctor St. Kleio had was there to check out the students. That meant that Mary was alone.

On the bench, Florence had started crying and he sank down beside her as the strength left his legs. Numbly, he put an arm around Florence as the nurse handed her a towel to wipe the blood off her face. She began to sob into the towel and Ikkyu patted her arm distractedly. _Mr. Kuroe's gonna go check on Mary, right?_ He pushed his glasses off the bridge of his nose and rubbed at his eyes. After everything else that had happened, he didn't know if he'd be able to take it if something had happened to her. _Please be okay, Mary_, he thought. _Please._

It was quiet everywhere but inside Mary's head. There were no more explosions, no more screams, and the pillars of smoke she could see from her bed had dwindled to threads. The peaks on the monitor tracked her heart as it beat faster. It felt as if it was going to leap from her chest but she barely felt the pain.

Images flashed through her head, connecting themselves to the things the older Mozart had told her. Where there were blanks, her mind filled them. His words and the things she thought twisted together, spinning memories she hadn't even known she had. She was trying to deny them, to tell herself that it was just a cruel joke, but it made sense. Too much sense.

On top of it all was the knowledge that the other Mozart was out there in the school somewhere stalking her Mozart, and possibly Ikkyu as well. The possibility that he was now after Ikkyu because of her words struck Mary and a wave of nausea threatened to overcome her. She looked out the window as best she could, her mind racing. There was nothing she could do as long as she was stuck here. Nothing but wait until someone came to tell her if her friends were alive or dead. Her best friend. Her boyfriend. They could both be dead and she wouldn't know it.

There was a sharp pain from the center of her chest as Mary yanked the ECG leads off their pads and dropped them on the floor, then a second as she flung back the covers. She took the oxygen monitor from her finger and dropped it on the sheets, then slid out of bed only to be stopped by a pain from the crook of her right arm. She turned, annoyed, and pulled the IV catheter out of her vein. It stung for a moment and she pressed her finger over the hole for a second.

Once she was out of bed, things became much more difficult. Since her surgery a week earlier she had only gotten out of bed to use the bathroom, and only with help from the nurses. She hadn't stood on her own since the day Ikkyu had carried her into the hospital wing, and her legs trembled as she moved away from the bed, holding on to the table where her flowers sat.

"Okay," she said out loud, as if doing so would help her stay upright. She moved an inch at a time, trying to will her legs to stop shaking. When she ran out of table to hold, she leaned on the wall and slowly made her way to the door, alarms from her monitors shrieking behind her.

She staggered down the hallway, her new heart trying desperately to keep up with her desire to get out of the hospital wing and to where the rest of the students were so she could stop Mozart. Her vision began to blur and she slapped at her face to keep herself awake. _I can't pass out. I have to get to Amadeus. I have to save him and I have to save Ikkyu._

Her body refused to listen to her. Dark stars exploded behind Mary's eyes and she felt her legs giving way. Pain screamed from her chest through the rest of her body and she bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. It cleared her head for a moment but Mary knew her body was giving up. She pressed herself harder against the wall, trying to make herself get just a few more inches closer to the door that led to Ikkyu and Mozart.

"Mary?" The door at the end of the hall opened and Kuroe came through it, calling her name. When he saw that she was out of her room, he darted toward her with a look of mingled fear and relief. "Mary! What are you doing? Are you all right?"

"Mr. Kuroe," she breathed, stumbling forward. "What's happening?"

"There's been an attack on the school," Kuroe said, catching her before she could fall. "There are terrorists in the school who have threatened to kill all the clones. I came to take you somewhere safe." He put an arm around Mary's waist and picked her up as effortlessly as a kitten.

"Terrorists," she said with a frown. "Clones."

"Yes," Kuroe said, looking as if he had been taken aback by her insight. He walked with her down the hall and pushed the door open with his foot. "How did you know?"

"I met someone," she said, looking toward the school building. "Is the attack over? Is Amadeus all right? How about Ikkyu?"

"I haven't seen Mozart," Kuroe said, shaking his head. "But I took Ikkyu and Florence Nightingale out myself. He's fine." Mary relaxed a little in Kuroe's arms, then tensed again and grabbed the lapels of his jacket.

"Mr. Kuroe, you have to find Amadeus. There's another Mozart, and he's going to kill him!"

"I'll take you somewhere safe," Kuroe said again. "I'll take you to where Ikkyu and the rest of the clones are, you'll be safe there. We'll bring you back here when everything is over. Just calm down and don't stress that new heart of yours out."

"But what about Amadeus?"

"I'll look for him," Kuroe said, giving Mary a kind smile. She had grown used to seeing him smile at her like that but for some reason this time it wasn't comforting. Unable to do anything else, she let go of his jacket and let Kuroe carry her toward the ballroom and Ikkyu, hoping that by the time they got there Mozart would have joined the rest.

_Amadeus_, she thought, closing her eyes against the tears that had welled up. _You're all right, aren't you?_


	14. Past and Pending

The past few days had been rainy, so as soon as the sun came out the students of St. Kleio were sitting on the lawn and in the courtyard enjoying it. Mary Shelley was enjoying it by standing on the roof and looking out over the school. She leaned against the stone railing and closed her eyes, feeling the breeze on her face.

Mozart stepped out onto the roof, where she was standing by the railing. She seemed to sense his presence and turned, beaming at Mozart in the way that always made him feel as if he was soaring.

"There you are."

She opened her eyes and turned to see Mozart coming up the stairs. The wind picked up and blew her hair around her face. The sun shining behind her gave her an ethereal, angelic look and he was lost to her once more. Her face lit up and she went toward him, meeting him in the center of the roof. With her dark hair, so wavy that it was almost curly and cut just at her chin, everyone loved to joke that she and Mozart had matching hairstyles. Mary tucked a lock of it behind her ear, then put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist.

"Were you looking for me?" Mary looked up at him and he smiled.

"I thought we were going to have lunch together. You never came," Mozart said, and her face fell a little.

"Were we? I'm sorry." She pressed two fingers to her temple and grimaced.

"Another headache?" Mozart looked at her carefully. "Have you taken anything for it?" She nodded. "Maybe you should see Dr. Kamiya about it."

"I'll be fine," Mary said, shaking her head. "Besides, I just took something. It hasn't even had time to kick in yet. You still want to eat lunch? There's time."

"Sure. But tell me, what are you doing up here? Is something bothering you?" Mozart looked at her questioningly. Mary sometimes suffered from vertigo, so she tended to stay away from high places unless something was bothering her. That was when she liked to come up to the roof so she could get the best view. She said it gave her perspective.

"The Expo is in two weeks," she said, taking a few steps away from Mozart and toward the railing. Her shoes clicked on the roof as she approached it, sharp snaps on stone. "And then after that, our graduation. They'll tell us where to go and we'll probably never see each other again." Mozart followed her and put his arms around her from behind.

"I won't let them separate us," Mozart said, leaning his head on hers. "Even if we go to different countries, I promise I'll do whatever I can to see you again. I love you, Mary."

"I love you too," she said, turning and putting her arms around him. They kissed while the wind blew around them, and in that moment it felt as if they really would be able to stay together.

"Come on," Mozart said, taking her hand. "Let's get some lunch before it's over." Mary looked up at him and smiled, then followed him down from the roof and into the school building. Normally they would be a bit more discreet about their relationship, but with such a short time left to be able to hold hands, they and the rest of the students had abandoned discretion altogether.

They walked together to the cafeteria, picked up trays and went to sit at one of the empty tables. A lot of clones were eating outside because of the nice weather so they had their choice. Marie Curie waved to Mary as she passed, probably on her way to the laboratory.

"What are you doing after class?" Mozart stabbed at his salad and Mary looked back at him.

"I don't know." She leaned closer to Mozart and looked around as if she was afraid someone was going to hear. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm having a little bit of writer's block."

"You're probably just nervous about the Expo," he said, waving his fork at her dismissively. "As soon as it's all over you'll be back to creating masterpieces. How's your head?"

"Better. The medication must have finally kicked in." She picked up her fork and started on her lunch. "How about you, how is your composition coming? The one for the Expo, I mean. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to hearing it."

"I'm just putting the finishing touches on it," Mozart said airily. "It should be my best yet."

"Wonderful. I hope my presentation is finished in time for me to hear it."

"Do they have you scheduled for the morning?"

"No," Mary said. "I'm in the library at 2:00. They love the backdrop of the bookshelves. So dramatic." She took a sip of her drink. "When are you scheduled?"

"11:00. Maybe you'll get to hear it after all." Overhead the bell rang and Mozart sighed. "I don't know why they make us have class the week before the Expo, it's not as if anyone's paying any attention." He stood up from the table and Mary followed close behind.

On their way to the school building, a trio caught Mozart's eye and he pointed them out to Mary. Kamiya was walking with Kuroe and Rockswell, one of the board members. He was easy to spot with his tanned skin and blonde hair but not as easy to avoid, and once he got a hold of someone he wasn't likely to let go easily. Mozart shepherded Mary into the building quickly before Rockswell could see them. He couldn't think of anything more likely to make her headache worse.

After class, Mozart went to the conservatory to practice his piece for the Expo. He said farewell to Mary with the promise to see her later and carried his sheet music down the hall, thinking as he did about his costume. He'd made sure it was ready weeks ago but he wanted everything to be perfect for his performance.

Mary was right, the artist clones' presentations were the most popular, especially those who had performances like the musicians. Mozart was used to an auditorium full of people all gathered to hear his work but with every year that he impressed them, the pressure to write an even better piece grew exponentially. He had gotten used to this, though. After all, he _was_ Mozart.

This year was different, though. This year Mary was going to be able to see him play. They had become a couple after last year's Expo so she hadn't had a reason to watch him then. Now that he knew Mary would be in the audience he was determined that it should be his finest performance ever.

When he got to the conservatory, he took off his uniform jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. The composition itself was finished, All that was left was for him to soak the music into every fiber of his body so that he would play it perfectly, without a single error or flaw. To that end, he sat on the piano bench and began to play.

He didn't know how long he played. Mozart lost himself in the music whenever he played and this time was no different. The notes were life itself and he breathed them deeply, exhaling them into the air around him as sound. Finally he came to the end of the piece, took his fingers off the keys and heard someone clapping.

This last thing wasn't something he was used to, and he looked toward the door to see Mary standing with her hands pressed together. Mozart stood up and she walked over to him, smiling brightly.

"That was wonderful, Amadeus." Mary went to the side of the piano and put a hand on it. "Was that your piece for the Expo?"

"Yes. How long were you listening?"

"Not nearly long enough," Mary said, looking up at him. "Would you play it for me again?" Mozart looked surprised and she shrugged. "If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll just wait for your performance."

"I would love to play for you," Mozart said. He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Just for you." Mary blushed and he motioned to the bench. "Here, sit beside me. Best seat in the house." He took a seat and put his foot on the pedal. Mary sat beside him and looked up at the handwritten music on the sheet. He chuckled. "I don't need to look at that anymore."

"That's because you're a genius."

"No, that's because I wrote it." With that, Mozart began to play. As he did he was aware that she was watching his face instead of his hands and he smiled. Sitting beside Mary made him feel stronger somehow, more alive than he had even an hour earlier, and his fingers flew over the keys. He knew that having her in the audience would be almost as good when he played for the businessmen and dignitaries that would come to see his work. At that moment, however, all that mattered was that she was there with him and would always be with him. He didn't know how, but he would make sure of it.

"Good, good," the piano instructor said as Mozart played the next afternoon. "You're in top form today. Let's make sure you keep it up until the performance."

"Yes, sir." He continued to play, working from memory as usual. Even though she was no longer beside him, he could still feel her presence on the bench and he closed his eyes, letting the music surround him. Maybe after class was over she would come again to hear him play. He was thinking of going to her dorm to invite her when the door to the conservatory slammed open.

"Mozart!" Elizabeth ran into the conservatory, her face white.

"Elizabeth?"

"Young lady! We are in the middle of-"

"Come quickly, there's something wrong with Mary!"

"Mary?" The fear in Elizabeth's voice turned his blood to ice and he stood up so quickly that he kicked his bench backward. "What happened?"

"She had a seizure," said Elizabeth, leading the way out of the room amid protests from Mozart's piano instructor. "I-I don't know what happened, she was standing in the locker room and was just about to put on her dress when she fell down. During gym she said her head was hurting but I didn't think anything about it." Elizabeth looked as if she was going to cry and Mozart shook his head.

"It's all right. Did you take her to the hospital?"

"Joan grabbed Kai and Napoleon from the hall and they took her. I came to find you because-" She looked guiltily at him. "-because I knew you'd be worried about her and I didn't want you to be the last to find out if something happened to her."

They ran down the hall toward the hospital wing at top speed. Elizabeth stopped to catch her breath but Mozart moved down the hall, panicked. He pushed open each door, searching for Mary until Dr. Kamiya stepped out of the far room and the door closed.

"Dr. Kamiya!" He ran the last length of the hallway, his heart in his throat. He wanted to know what had happened to her but was terrified to hear the answer all the same. "Is Mary in there? What happened? Is she all right?" He tried to step past Kamiya into the room but was stopped by a shake of the doctor's head.

"Let's talk out here first," Kamiya said quietly. Mozart looked like he wanted to protest but decided it was better to hear him out. "You know how her original died, I assume?" Kamiya looked over his chart at Mozart, who nodded slowly.

"She had a brain tumor."

"Yes. She suffered from headaches a great deal later in life." He sighed. "I suppose in retrospect we should have considered that possibility when Mary started complaining of headaches. We won't make that mistake again."

"So you're saying Mary has _cancer_? W-what does this mean for her?" Kamiya's eyes shifted toward the room where Mary still lay unconscious in bed and a hard, cold knot settled in Mozart's stomach. "No. You can't be serious."

"It's too late to stop it," the doctor said. "We'll do a full scan but if she's having seizures, it's already advanced a great deal and it's likely there's no way to operate. Depending on what the scan shows, she could have a few months to a few weeks at best." Kamiya closed the chart he was holding and folded his arms over it. "I gave her an injection to stop the seizure so she'll probably be groggy." Anticipating Mozart's next question, he motioned to the door. "Don't let her get too worked up."

"Thank you, sir," Mozart said. He paused for a moment with his hand on the door, suddenly not sure if he really did want to go inside. As much as he wanted to be with Mary, he also didn't want to see her lying in a hospital bed. His need to make sure she was okay won out and he pushed open the door.

The room was dim and the only sounds were the monitors around her bed, and Mozart walked slowly so his shoes wouldn't make noise on the floor. She looked so small in the bed, quiet and still, and for a moment he wanted to turn around and run out. He didn't want to see Mary like this. This wasn't his Mary. It _wasn't_.

Then her eyes opened.

"Hi," Mary said weakly, turning toward Mozart. "I guess you heard the good news."

"Yes. Dr. Kamiya told me." He reached out and took her hand. There was an IV in the back of it. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"He said the medication might do that." The room was silent again and Mozart looked up at the monitors. He didn't know what to say to her, how to talk to her now that he knew she was dying. Whatever he might have wanted to tell her seemed pointless and insignificant in the face of this news. His music, her writing, school, the Expo; none of it mattered anymore. "Mary-"

"You know, I'm glad we met," she said with a smile. "Even for a little while. But I'm sorry I have to leave you." Mozart rubbed her hand gently and she closed her eyes. "You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to. I'll understand."

"Of course I'll stay with you," Mozart said. He wanted to tell her she was going to be okay, that everything would be all right but they both knew it would be a lie. All he could tell her was what he'd told her almost every day since they started dating. "Mary, I love you."

"I love you too, Amadeus," Mary said, opening her eyes again. They were hazy from the drugs but they were still beautiful.

"I'll stay with you as long as I can." Mozart leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I promise."

Two weeks later, everyone was putting the final touches on their work for the Expo. Mozart was no exception. His composition was committed to memory, his costume was perfect, and he'd supervised the tuning of the school's grand piano. Everything was ready.

"All right, class," the professor said as the students were getting up to leave after class. "Please double check your room assignment for the Exposition. We don't want any confusion on Saturday. Everything needs to run as smoothly as possible."

"Right, right," Napoleon said as they started out the door. "We've got it already."

Mozart walked with the rest of the students to the first floor bulletin board where several long lists had been pinned. Each student's name was on the board with the time and place of their presentation and they all crowded around to look. He found his quickly, confirmed that it was at 11:00 in the auditorium, then automatically scanned the list for another familiar name. Written in large red letters over the line that said _Mary Shelley, Library, 2:00 PM_ was the word 'CANCELLED.'

He didn't even have the strength to summon the emotion necessary to deal with it. Without a word, he turned away from the board and went down the hall that led to the conservatory. On the way he passed two of the professors, one of whom was carrying a box. The one with the box sighed deeply.

"Really, it's such a pain having to reprint all the programs."

"It's not as if she planned to die," the other professor said fairly as they approached the corner. Her voice was faint, almost out of the reach of his finely-tuned hearing, but he heard the last thing she said clearly. "At least she was just a clone."

The words stung Mozart in a way he hadn't thought was still possible. He stopped in his tracks and looked in the direction the professors had gone. Part of him wanted to go after them, to say that Mary wasn't _just_ a clone, that she was a strong young woman, a brilliant writer and the most important thing in his life besides music. He knew it wouldn't make any difference, though. No matter what he said, no matter what he did, they would always just be clones.

He wished he could have been there when she died, to hold her hand and tell her he would see her again one day, but she went in her sleep. Kuroe and Dr. Kamiya had come to his dorm room that morning to break the news to him, and to tell him he could have the day off class if he wanted. He hadn't gone to class but he had spent the entire day in the conservatory staring at the keys. Every now and then he played a few bars but for the first time in his life the music wouldn't come.

It was better after he'd let himself cry. Then he'd at least been able to play. He still felt hollow inside, as if someone had opened his chest and pried his heart from its place, leaving him cold and emotionless. Mary's face followed him everywhere, her smile and her voice haunted him. He wondered how long it would be before he could think of her without screaming inside.

Time rushed on in spite of his feelings and then the opening ceremony of the Expo was upon them. Mozart stood in the ballroom with the rest of the students, his heart heavy. Then he realized that everyone was walking to another part of the room together. He followed, less out of any desire to see what was there than to stop thinking about Mary for a few minutes, only to discover that there were a large number of babies in the next room.

"What is this?"

"This is the next generation of clones," said Rockswell grandly, holding his arm out over the babies and their nurses. "Don't be shy!"

"Here you go," one of the nurses said to Mozart, holding a blonde-haired baby out to him. He wasn't sure he wanted to hold it but he put his arms out anyway. The baby was warm and unexpectedly heavy, and it looked up at him curiously.

"So you're me," he said. "Or at least you're going to grow up to be me." A thought ran through his head and he put the baby on his hip, then hurried over to one of the nurses who had just handed over a baby to Galileo. "Excuse me, nurse?"

"Yes?"

"Where's Mary Shelley?" Holding his own little clone, Mozart looked around at the floor at the babies who were crawling around and playing with each other. "Can I hold her? Just for a moment?"

"I'm sorry," the nurse said, shaking her head. "There is no Mary Shelley."

"What?" Mozart looked at all the other clones. Napoleon, Freud, Nightingale, Elizabeth, Joan of Arc, even Hitler were all holding baby versions of themselves. While there were babies without teenage counterparts, there wasn't a single clone his age who wasn't holding a little one in their arms. "There has to be."

"I'm sorry, Mozart," the nurse repeated. "She doesn't exist." One of the babies still on the floor began to cry and the nurse went over to comfort it, leaving Mozart standing in the middle of the floor alone except for the baby who was tugging at the buttons on his frock coat. He looked down at baby Mozart and tried to smile.

Tried and failed.

In the conservatory at St. Kleio, Mozart walked slowly up behind the baby he had held more than ten years earlier. His gun was drawn and he knew what he had to do.

"You continue to play, Mozart?" There was no answer from the younger Mozart, and the older pointed the gun at the back of the younger's head. "But that alone won't make you Mozart."

"I know that," the younger Mozart said. He played on and the older of the two clones was stopped in his tracks, blown away by the beauty of the music. A memory of holding the baby who would become the young man that was playing flashed in his mind and he closed his eyes.

Another memory came to him, of his Mary standing at his side while he sat at this very piano. He looked up at her and she smiled encouragingly, then put a hand on his shoulder while he played. The light was shining on her face and for a long moment he felt the same peace he'd felt back then, back before the world fell apart.

"Perhaps you really can be Mozart," he said quietly. "In that case, I'm no longer needed." _Maybe I'll see her again,_ he thought as he put the gun under his chin. _If there truly is a God, and he takes pity on the mistakes men make, we'll be together soon enough_. His last thought was of Mary turning toward him on the roof, with a smile on her face that she saved for him, before the single shot took him into dark and nothingness.

Mozart finished his song, then looked up at the ceiling as if considering the heavens. "This one's for you, Joan," he said quietly.

As he walked out of the conservatory, he spared only a single glance for the figure on the floor. The man was a silhouette of who he might one day become, something that no longer interested Mozart. He left his predecessor as alone as he'd been since he left St. Kleio, tears running down his face and a pool of bright blood spreading beneath his head.


	15. Reunited and Relieved

Kuroe carried Mary into the dining hall where the students were sitting in groups, being treated for minor injuries. Feeling eyes on her as they passed, Mary couldn't help feeling a little silly but it all disappeared as soon as she saw Ikkyu, Florence and Elizabeth sitting together. Her relief at seeing him made her dizzy and her face broke involuntarily into a smile.

"Sorry for bringing you here like this," Kuroe said. "But I thought it would be safer, just in case any more of those terrorists were on campus. Keep all you kids together in one place and all." He smiled at her. "Not sure what I would have done if you hadn't pulled off your monitoring equipment, though. I mean, I could have managed an IV pole but not the rest of those machines."

"Mary!" Florence's face brightened and Ikkyu's head snapped up. Kuroe set Mary down on the floor and she was immediately grabbed by Ikkyu, who put his arms around her and held her so tightly that pain shot through her chest. She didn't care.

"Oh my God, Mary!" Ikkyu continued to hug her and was joined a moment later by Elizabeth and Florence. Mary leaned into Ikkyu and started to cry with relief when she heard his heart beating beneath her cheek. She wasn't the only one. Both of the other girls were sobbing as well, and Mary was sure she felt tears fall onto her neck. "I was so worried."

"What happened to your arm?" Elizabeth gasped and grabbed Mary's arm and Ikkyu finally released her so he could see what they were talking about. Streaks of dried blood were running down her arm and there was a bruise in the crook of her elbow.

"My IV," Mary said, shaking her head. "I pulled it out. I'm fine."

"Here," Kuroe said, shrugging off his jacket and putting it around Mary's shoulders. She looked up at him curiously and he started rolling up the sleeves of his pinstriped shirt. "I've got to go supervise the search of the auditorium. Put that on so you aren't just wandering around in your hospital clothes." He started to walk off, then stopped. "That doesn't mean I'm giving you permission to go wandering around, either."

"Yes, Mr. Kuroe."

"I mean it." Mary nodded and he took his phone out of his pocket, then strode away across the ballroom, leaving her with her friends. Florence got up so Mary could sit beside Ikkyu, who put an arm around her.

"Were you in the hospital wing this whole time?"

"Yes. What happened? All I could see from my window was smoke. And I-I heard people screaming. Is everyone all right?" She saw the way Ikkyu, Florence and Elizabeth looked at one another and her stomach dropped. "Please, tell me what happened!"

"Mary!" Amelia Earhart and Susan B. Anthony ran up to her and threw their arms around her at the same time. "Thank goodness you're all right! We hoped that your being in the hospital would have kept you safe. You _are_ all right, aren't you?" Amelia looked her over and Mary gave her a weak smile.

"Yes, I'm all right." Something cold fell into Mary's stomach as she realized that one of the girls was missing. "Where's Helen?"

Immediately, the girls were silent. Behind Mary, both Florence and Elizabeth had also fallen silent and Ikkyu's arm tightened around her in spite of the fact that they were in the middle of a room of teachers and staff.

"There was an explosion in the auditorium," Amelia said gently. "A bomb that the other clones set to go off during the presentations."

"There was a lot of damage to the balcony," Susan said. "The part where Helen was sitting just sort of crumbled away and-"

"She didn't make it," finished Amelia. "A lot of clones didn't."

"No," Mary said, looking from face to face and finding the same sympathetic look on each. Even having met the clone of Mozart that had come to kill her, something in her mind had denied that anyone could have been killed. They were all safe, having made it out of the auditorium and into the ballroom where they were being looked over by medical staff. No one could possibly have died. "That can't be true."

"It's true," Susan said. "I saw her myself."

"No!" Mary stood up, her hands balled into fists. Her heart started pounding immediately, having already exerted itself just a little while earlier. "It's not!" She started walking away, barefoot and wearing Kuroe's jacket. Ikkyu jumped up and followed her.

"Mary, you shouldn't be walking around. Mr. Kuroe said for you to rest." He moved slowly with her until she stopped and leaned against one of the pillars, breathing heavily. "Come on, let's sit down." Mary didn't answer him but she didn't stop him from putting an arm around her waist, just as he had the first day he'd come to visit her in the hospital. There was an empty pair of chairs near the wall and he helped her over to them, then sat beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mary said, drawing Kuroe's jacket tighter around her. More students were walking by and some of them paused to look at her. It was surreal seeing them all in their costumes for the Expo somehow and she scanned the crowd, hoping to see Mozart's face. When she didn't, she took a deep breath, then shook her head. "No." Ikkyu took one of her hands and held it on her lap. "Ikkyu, what happened? I heard the explosion from my room but then I heard screaming."

"This morning they said there were security concerns, so we were all in the auditorium instead of the classrooms. We were supposed to just do short presentations so everyone got a chance to go. Then Rasputin started going on about that Almighty Dolly business and the next thing we knew there was an explosion in the ceiling. People were freaking out and running everywhere, it was complete chaos. That's when-" He stopped suddenly and looked at the ground, then gave Mary a weak smile. "It's not important what happened then."

"Please tell me," Mary said, leaning over she could catch his eye. "I need to know."

"I didn't see it myself, I only heard people talking about it," Ikkyu said heavily. "But some of the clones were out in the courtyard and they had Joan of Arc tied to a stake with another Joan. It got set on fire and, well, that's probably the screaming you heard."

"Oh my God." Mary pressed a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. It was all so terrible, she could hardly believe what she was hearing. Ikkyu's usually cheerful face was pale and tired-looking and her vision started to blur again. This time, however, it was due to the tears that she was unable to blink back. "I'm so sorry. I-" Mary was interrupted by the sight of Kuroe walking across the ballroom, a determined look on his face. "Mr. Kuroe!"

He looked as if he hadn't heard her and was about to pass through the room without being stopped by anyone, so Mary stood up and started toward him, her heart beating wildly. Ikkyu got up and pulled her back into her chair, shaking his head. Seeing this, Florence got up and stopped Kuroe, then pointed to Mary. He came across the room with Florence and Elizabeth in tow and they all gathered around the chairs where Mary and Ikkyu were sitting.

"What did I say about wandering off?"

"Did you find him?" Mary ignored the question and looked up at Kuroe, who gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. "He's all right, though? Amadeus?"

"I still haven't seen him. He'll be around soon, I'm sure. But the other one-" He hesitated and Mary stared at him. When he saw he wasn't going to be able to get out of it without answering, he shook his head. "He's dead. Killed himself in the conservatory."

"Oh," Mary said softly. "I figured as much."

"You saw one of them?" Ikkyu looked at her, his voice alarmed. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. He said he was going to kill me but he didn't. He..." Mary bit her lip to keep herself from crying. "He looked just like Amadeus, except his hair was shorter and he was older." Ikkyu and Florence shared a glance and Mary looked from one to the other. "What?"

"There was a clone that looked just like Nightingale," Ikkyu said. "She tried to kill us too. That's when Mr. Kuroe found us." Mary looked up at Kuroe curiously and he looked away from her.

"I've got to get back to searching," he said. "But while you're all standing around, I wanted to let you know that they found Napoleon. He's pretty badly injured, but they're taking him to the hospital wing now and he should be fine." Kuroe turned his attention to Mary. "That means they've cleared the hospital wing so I'll make sure someone comes to take you back as soon as possible. They'll probably take care of the wounded first, though."

"That's fine," Mary said. "I'm in no rush. Here, take this with you." She started to take off his jacket and he held up a hand.

"Keep it for now. I'll get it from you later." Kuroe took off toward the door again, leaving Ikkyu and the girls to look at each other. None of them seemed to know what to say to each other and Mary's other friends were still across the room, crying. It still didn't feel real to her, though, and she clasped her hands together on her lap.

"Y-you look good, Mary," said Florence, trying to bring the conversation around to something besides death and the clones who had come to deal it. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, mostly," said Mary, welcoming the distraction. "My new heart isn't used to doing the work my old one was, even if it does beat like it's supposed to." She managed a small smile. "It's obviously not ready for me to be to be doing much, though. Dr. Kamiya's probably going to make me stay in bed for a week after this."

"Can you have visitors? We'll come see you!" Elizabeth held up a finger. "I'm sure we're going to be able to see Napoleon soon, we can visit both of you at the same time."

"I don't know if they'll let you," Mary said with a shrug. "Ikkyu's the only one who's come to see me besides Mr. Kuroe."

"Yeah, and I had to do a lot of asking. I think they might have just let me in to keep me from bugging them." He frowned slightly. "Come to think of it, though, it was all the nurses and a couple of the doctors that kept saying no. As soon as I asked Dr. Kamiya, he said yes right away."

"It's been proven that having company and a cheerful environment helps people recover faster from surgery and injuries," Florence said, nodding. "We'll have to come in and see you."

"Thanks," Mary said, looking around at them. "I hope they let you come in. I'd like to see Amadeus too. I don't know why he hasn't come to visit me," she added a little sadly. It made her think again about Kuroe saying he hadn't seen him yet and she pushed it away. "It's not like him."

Ikkyu shifted his eyes away from hers, hoping that he'd done so in time to keep her from seeing. When he said it had taken a lot of asking for them to let him visit Mary right after her surgery it had been both true and untrue. As promised, Kuroe had come to his class to tell him she was awake and had even let him see her for a few minutes. She'd been weak and tired, but had seemed happy to see him. After that, though, he'd been told he couldn't see her until she recovered and he'd started his campaign to see her. He'd spent the entire time hoping she wouldn't ask where Mozart was.

He hated lying to anyone, but especially to Mary. Dr. Kamiya had made it clear to him when he gave permission for him to visit her that he wasn't to say anything about Mozart or he wouldn't be allowed back. He'd agreed because he wanted to see her, but now the omission felt heavy and wrong.

"Mary," he began, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him curiously and the words failed him. She was already worried about Mozart, he didn't need to add to it. There would be plenty of time to tell her once things had settled down a little. He wasn't going to keep it from her anymore, though. That's not what their relationship was about.

"What's happening around here?" Two of the great philosopher's clones were standing just behind them and their voices pushed Ikkyu's aside. "First Mozart, now this terrorist attack? I'm beginning to think this Exposition is cursed."

"Don't be ridiculous," his friend said. "The two things are completely unrelated. The only thing behind Mozart's suicide attempt was his unstable personality, not some silly curse. The next thing you know you'll be telling me you bought into all that Almighty Dolly crap."

The two boys moved along, still talking, but Mary continued to sit very still, her eyes wide. Ikkyu, Florence and Elizabeth all looked at her cautiously but she didn't respond. Her hands began to shake and Florence put a hand on her wrist.

"Sui-suicide?"

"Attempt!" added Ikkyu quickly, trying to give her a cheerful smile. "He's fine!" Florence shot him a dirty look and he fell silent.

"It's all right, Mary," she said, putting an arm around Mary's shoulders. "It happened a little while ago but he's out of the hospital now. In fact, he joined us for tea."

"Hasn't he visited you?" Now it was Elizabeth's turn to get a look from Florence, and she laughed nervously. "Oh, ha ha, of course not, he's been taking it easy. He probably didn't want to worry you with those bandages!"

"Bandages?"

"Don't worry about it," Ikkyu said, a smile still plastered to his face. "He's recovering just fine. I'm sure he'll come in to see you, to make sure you're doing all right now. I mean, you're well enough to go pulling out your IV, right?" Mary nodded once, convulsively, and he put his arm back around her shoulders, grateful to Florence for her similar gesture. "You, uh, you probably shouldn't do that anymore, though. They probably won't be too thrilled with you."

"Probably not," Mary said, the ghost of a smile making it to the corners of her mouth. Of the three around her, only Ikkyu could tell it was forced. He'd seen enough of her genuine smiles to know when one was off. "Thanks, you guys."

"It's all right," Florence said gently. "We're friends, right? That's what we're here for." Before Mary could thank her, a nurse came over with a wheelchair.

"All right, Mary Shelley, it's time to go back to your room."

"Already?" Mary looked at her friends. "Mr. Kuroe said you would take care of the wounded first, though. I'm all right."

"You're not supposed to be exerting yourself," said the nurse firmly. "We'll take you back to the hospital wing and your friends can come visit you when everything settles down."

"I'm holding you to that," Mary said petulantly as Ikkyu helped her up and into the wheelchair. Before he stood up, he let his hand linger on hers for a long moment and it made her smile. The nurse seemed anxious to get her back to the hospital wing, and she unlocked the wheels. "See you later," Mary said, meeting his eyes, and he understood that her words were just for him.

"As soon as they'll let me in," Ikkyu promised. The nurse turned the wheelchair away from him and he stayed standing, watching her being taken back to the safety of her hospital room. They were almost to the door when the nurse leaned over, sighed, and stopped. Mary turned around as best she could in the chair and grinned. This smile was genuine and it sent relief coursing through him.

"Hey Ikkyu?"

"Yeah?"

"I like your costume."

"Heh. Thanks," he said, then waved at her as the nurse hustled her out of the room before she could try to talk to anyone else. Once she was gone for good, Ikkyu sighed and flopped down in the chair she had vacated. "I can't even tell you how relieved I am." He put a hand over his face and Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder and he looked around. "I wonder where Freud is? And Shiro?"

"I saw Freud," Elizabeth said. "He said he was going to go sit with Shiro. I don't know where that was, though. At least we know they're both okay. Hey," she said, looking worriedly at the door where Mary had just been taken through. "What're you going to do if something really has happened to Mozart? Do you think she'll be okay?"

"I don't know," Ikkyu said, shaking his head. He had a feeling about how she would react and he wasn't eager to find out if it was right.

Back in bed with a new IV in her other arm and the machines hooked back up to her body, Mary only halfway listened to the nurse lecturing her about how she should have stayed in bed and waited for someone to come get her. Mary didn't have the energy or desire to tell her that one of the clone killers had come into her room so she just stared at the ceiling and thought about Mozart.

The other, older Mozart had killed himself in the conservatory but Kuroe said he hadn't found her Mozart. She hoped that meant he was safe. Her mind went to the suicide attempt that she had only just learned about and she closed her eyes. _Why would he try to kill himself?_ A stab of guilt went through her chest. She'd noticed that something wasn't right with him but after he'd started shutting her out, she'd spent almost all her time with Ikkyu. _Maybe if I'd been with him I would have seen it coming. Maybe I could have stopped him_. She heard the door open and turned her head toward the sound.

"Well, at least we know you can get out of that bed," said Dr. Kamiya pleasantly. "I'm not saying that you should be doing laps around the hospital but we should be able to get you started on your cardiac rehab." He came closer to her bed and Mary thought she saw some dried blood along his hairline. She wondered if he had been injured in the attack too. The door opened again and Kuroe came through it.

"What kind of rehab?"

"We'll have you walking and exercising in controlled circumstances, strengthening that new heart and making sure you don't get any blood clots. I'm going to have a nurse come by in just a little while. I want a scan to make sure there was no damage from your excursion. Not that I think there is, I just want to make sure." Kamiya came over and looked at her monitors. "Good. Good."

"How are you feeling?" Kuroe joined him at the side of her bed and Mary smiled up at him.

"Pretty good, actually. Just tired." She pointed over at the chair where his jacket was hanging over the back. "Thank you for the jacket. I might have gotten some blood in the sleeve, though." Kuroe smiled at her.

"I think I'll survive."

"All right, Mary, we'll get that scan set up for you, then we can have your dinner brought in. You must be hungry." Not waiting for a response, Kamiya went to the door and opened it. Kuroe started to follow him but Mary sat up a little.

"Wait, Mr. Kuroe?" He stopped at the sound of her voice and looked over his shoulder.

"Yes, Mary?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Kuroe looked at Kamiya, then back at Mary. The doctor shrugged and went down the hall, leaving Kuroe in the room. He went over to the bed and looked curiously at Mary.

"What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me what happened to Amadeus?" It had been gnawing at her since she'd found out about the suicide attempt. He didn't visit as often as Ikkyu, but Mary trusted him to bring her news of the school. In the past, he'd even told her things she wasn't sure she was supposed to know. They were friends, or at least she had thought so. Kuroe sighed deeply and shook his head.

"I didn't want you to worry, especially right after your surgery," he said. Mary's eyes pierced him and he looked over at her flowers instead. The lilies he'd had sent to her were looking a little wilted. "We only kept him in the hospital for a couple of days, then he went back to class with Shiro to keep an eye on him." He realized he'd said the wrong thing when Mary sat up a little higher. "Mary, you should really be laying down."

"You mean he was here in the hospital with me and you didn't tell me?" Now she was sitting completely upright, as if to defy him. It made the fresh bandages around her chest pull uncomfortably but she ignored it. "I can't believe it!"

"It wouldn't have done any good," Kuroe said, going to her bed and pressing the 'up' button to raise the head of her bed so she wouldn't have to sit up on her own. Mary didn't say anything but she leaned back a little on it. "We wouldn't have been able to move you."

"You still could have told me." Something else that had been bothering her came to her and she clenched her teeth for a moment to steel herself before speaking. "I need to ask you something else," she said as calmly as possible. "Am I just an experiment here?"

"What?" Kuroe looked at her, surprised and she twisted her fingers in the sheets.

"My predecessor had a brain tumor, right? Was I an experiment to see if they could cure her cancer, and was my heart just another part of the experiment?"

"Where did you hear that?" Kuroe's eyes were hard as he looked at her and she knew the answer. The other Mozart had been telling the truth.

"Oh. So it's true," she said quietly. "Everything he said was true."

"Mary-"

"I'm not feeling too well, Mr. Kuroe," Mary said, cutting him off before he could try to make his case. She didn't want to hear him try to explain it, nor did she want to try and discern how much of his explanation was a lie. "I'm going to rest for a few minutes." Kuroe seemed to understand and turned away from the bed. His shoes were sharp as always on the floor but this time for some reason the sound made her want to cry. As soon as she was sure he was gone, she let the tears fall and didn't bother to wipe them away.


	16. Aftershock

The next day Ikkyu walked down the hallway of the hospital wing toward Mary's room. He felt a little strange in his casual clothes since he usually visited when he was wearing his uniform. Classes weren't being held that day and they hadn't been told when they would start back up again. As far as he was concerned, whenever they did it would be too soon.

The nurses looked at him as he passed and he was halfway waiting for one of them to tell him to go back to his dorm and put on something more respectable than cargo shorts and a camouflage hoodie but no one said a word, even when he approached Mary's room. Before he could even reach for the handle, however, the door opened and Kuroe came out of Mary's room, shaking his head. He closed the door behind him and sighed, then looked up at Ikkyu with a start.

"Oh. Ikkyu." There was something in Kuroe's voice that made his stomach tighten and Ikkyu searched his face. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Um, is everything all right? With Mary?"

"She's-" Kuroe sighed again. "Physically, she's fine. Her vitals are stable again and there doesn't seem to have been any sort of damage to her heart from the stress. Mentally, that's a different story. She refuses to interact with anyone beyond letting us know she's alive." He looked up at Ikkyu, and in that moment he looked every moment of his age. "Maybe you'll have more luck. I'm sure she'll want to talk to you." He put a hand on Ikkyu's shoulder. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Mr. Kuroe." He waited until Kuroe was gone before opening the door to her room slowly. "Mary?" It was unusually dark, with only the pinstripes of sun that escaped into the room through the cracks in the blinds casting light around it. He could see her shoulder over the sheet, her back toward him. The only response came from the machines around her, their beeping soft and steady. "Are you awake?"

She didn't say anything or give any indication that she even knew he was there, simply lay on her side staring at the window. He let the door close behind him and moved closer to her bed.

"Mary?" He put his hand on her shoulder and felt her body tense beneath it slightly, the covers tightening around her as she pulled them close. "Are you all right? I didn't get to see you after they cleared us all. They told me you were back here but that I couldn't come see you until you were stable again." He squeezed her shoulder gently but she still remained silent. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," she said quietly. It sounded like she had been crying. There was a long silence, then she spoke so softly he almost didn't hear her, even as close to her as he was. "What did he do? What did Amadeus do to himself?"

"Mary, I don't think you need to-"

"Just tell me."

"He tried to hang himself. When Elizabeth said bandages, he was walking around school for a couple of days with bandages on his neck." Ikkyu didn't like saying these things to her, but he knew she wouldn't be happy until she knew. "Trashed his room, too. So he didn't perform at the Expo." Something that would make her happy came to him and he smiled, even though she couldn't see him. "I saw him at breakfast this morning. He looks like he's okay."

"I'm glad," Mary said, her back still to him. "Why didn't you tell me what he did?"

"Dr. Kamiya told me not to," Ikkyu said, guilt stabbing at him painfully. "I had to promise I wouldn't tell you or they wouldn't have let me come see you before the Expo. They said that it would only upset you, and you needed to have as little stress as possible while you recover." Mary didn't have anything to say to this, or to him, and it was silent in the room again. "I'm sorry," he said, half-sitting on the bed behind her. "I would have if I could."

"Would you?"

"You know I would." Closing his eyes, Ikkyu leaned sideways and laid his head on her shoulder. "They're gonna have a memorial service tomorrow. It's too bad you won't be able to come see it. I've missed having you near me." Mary sat up suddenly and he slid face-first into the sheets. He looked up at her with his glasses hanging off one ear and could tell, even blurry, that her face was streaked with tears. He fixed his glasses, then put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

She sat lifeless for a moment like a doll in his arms while he held her, then leaned her head on his chest as tears began to course silently down her cheeks again. He pressed his cheek against her and several tears escaped from his eyes as well. When one of them dropped onto the top of her head, Mary put her arms around him and held on for dear life as her body shook with choked sobs.

"I know," he said shakily. "This is all so insane."

"It's all wrong," she said. "Everything. Why did they have to try again? Why couldn't they just leave me alone after I died? Why did they think they could fix me?"

"What?" Ikkyu sat back and held her at arm's length. "Mary? What are you talking about?" She bowed her head so her face was hidden by her hair and he leaned forward to try and see her eyes. "What do you mean, try again? I thought you said you didn't have a predecessor."

"I thought I didn't. They told me I was the only one. Then he said it wasn't true, that there was another Mary Shelley before me, and she died from a brain tumor just like our original." She swiped at her eyes. "And that the only reason I'm alive is because they needed me for research, that they didn't even expect me to live."

"I'm sure that's not true," Ikkyu said, taking her hands. "Those guys killed a bunch of people. The one that looked like Nightingale shot a guy in the head right in front of me. He was probably just trying to upset you."

"He wasn't," Mary said quietly. "I asked Mr. Kuroe."

"Oh." Ikkyu didn't know what to say to this, but he was spared by Mary a moment later.

"He was Amadeus," she said. "A different Amadeus, who was in love with the Mary before me. He said he came in here to kill me to spare me the same pain as her, so I wouldn't have to suffer. But he couldn't do it. I think he loved her too much."

"Hey," Ikkyu said, putting his hand under her chin and lifting her face up so he could look into her eyes. "That's a good thing. I don't know what I would have done if you'd died." She wouldn't look at him and he sighed. "You might not have realized it, but I do love you." When she turned her gaze to him, he kissed her. "Everything happens for a reason. Maybe you _were _an experiment but you're fine now. Does it really matter why you were born? All that matters is that you're here now."

"I suppose so." She was quiet for a long time, her face pressed to his chest, then she looked up. "I love you too," she said, smiling into his deep brown eyes at last. "As long as we're together I guess it doesn't matter how we got here."

"That's the spirit." Ikkyu cradled her face in his hands, then leaned over and kissed her. Mary was too sore to put her arms around his neck so she just kissed him back. They were so wrapped up in one another that they didn't hear the door opening.

"Oh, come on." Kuroe rubbed his temples. "What do you kids think this is, anyway?"

"Huh?" The boy pulled away from Mary, then let go of her as if she had burned him. "M-M-Mr. Kuroe!" Mary's eyes opened slowly and she looked at Kuroe, disappointed. Ikkyu stood up straight, his face bright red. "I'm sorry, I just, I mean, I guess I got carried away, sir?"

"I gathered that," Kuroe said with a sigh. He shook his head and waved a hand at Ikkyu, who was standing rigidly in front of him. _Good lord, when did he get so tall?_ "It's all right, Ikkyu, calm down. Just try to be more careful in the future, okay? I can just imagine what Rockswell would say if he walked in here and you two were in bed together." He put a hand over his eyes. "Never mind, he'd probably ask if he could watch."

"W-we weren't-"

"Mr. Kuroe, honestly," Mary said with a sigh. "Do you really think I have the energy to do something like that? Besides, this is a hospital bed. If we were going to try it, I would much rather do so in one of the dorm rooms. Or at the very least, a couch."

"Mary!" Ikkyu looked horrified that she would say this flat out to Kuroe, who rolled his eyes and shook his head at her.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that." He turned to Ikkyu. "Go on and get some lunch, they'll be bringing Mary's in just a minute."

"Yes, sir!" Ikkyu seemed relieved to have been given an opportunity to escape and Mary waved at him reluctantly. "I'll come back later," he said, then looked at Kuroe guiltily. "If, uh, if that's okay, sir."

"Somehow I don't think I could stop you if I tried." Ikkyu closed the door behind him, leaving Kuroe and Mary alone. "You're talking again, that's a start." Kuroe folded his arms across his chest. Mary turned away from him and he threw up his hands. "I see. You're talking, but not to me. Fine. Just have someone bring me a note if you ever decide you're going to tell me why I'm the one getting the silent treatment." He turned to go and Mary spoke, but softly.

"Because I trusted you."

"What?"

"When I was a kid, you were here all the time. You were the only one who ever talked to me like I was a person. All I ever saw were doctors and nurses. You were like my favorite uncle, always bringing me books and snacks and stuff like that. I remember that one day when you said you had a big surprise for me, I got so excited I could hardly sleep." She smiled and Kuroe's stomach dropped at the memory. "The next day you told me I could go to school with everyone else and I was so happy."

"Mary-"

"I never had any doubts about talking to you when I was worried or scared, and I felt special even though I always knew you were looking out for me like you looked out for all us clones."

"You can't honestly think I was behind any of this," Kuroe said, pulling his chair up to the side of her bed and sitting down. "It was all planned out before I even came back. I had no say whatsoever in what they referred to as the Shelley Project. The only thing I could do was keep you safe and remind whoever was in charge that you were a person, not an object."

"But I was still just an experiment."

"Not to me." Kuroe smiled. "All you kids...you may be clones, but I still think of you as a bunch of stupid kids that I have to help look after. Why do you think I hang around here?" Mary looked down into her hands and he stood up so he could put a hand on her head. "I've watched all of you grow up. I can't just detach myself like Kamiya and I damn sure don't think of you as cattle like Rockswell and the sponsors. In the end I'm just human, though, and I suppose I wanted to spare you from having to hear the truth. I hoped that your new heart would work and that would be the end of it."

"Is there anything else you aren't telling me?"

"No," Kuroe said. "There's nothing else to tell." Then, unexpectedly, he leaned down and hugged her. Surprised, Mary put her arms around him and hugged him back. Unlike Ikkyu, he smelled faintly of cologne and what she thought might have been smoke. The combination made her want to cry for some reason. When he stepped away from her, he cleared his throat. "Get some rest. I'm sure Ikkyu will be back in here after lunch." Reading Mary's look, he laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to give him a hard time."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Just as he had a thousand times before, he put a hand on her head and smiled. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but the door opened again and a nurse came in carrying a tray of food. "Looks like your lunch is here. Are you planning on eating it this time?"

"Depends on what it is." The nurse sat the tray down on the table that sat over Mary's lap and raised the head of the bed. She looked down at the tray dispassionately. "Why can't I get something from the cafeteria?"

"This does come from the cafeteria," the nurse said. "But this was specifically made for you to encourage recovery. Don't worry, you'll be back to eating with your friends soon enough."

"I hope so," Mary said, picking up her fork and poking at the food. "It's definitely encouraging me to try and find a way out of here." The nurse gave her an exasperated look and Kuroe laughed.

"Stay in bed," he said, following the nurse to the door. "I hear about you trying to escape, we're going to have words."

"Yes, yes." Mary waved at them as they left, then pushed her tray away from her lap and put a hand over her face. Alone in the room with Kuroe's words and her new knowledge about Mozart, she started to cry.

Mary found herself standing in a dim room, alone except for a man leaning over what looked like an operating table. Tanks and flasks were scattered about the room and she frowned up at what looked like an electrical setup. Everything looked like it belonged in a turn-of-the-century laboratory, all wood and iron. She didn't know how she'd gotten there, only that she was cold in spite of the fact she was wearing the dress she'd never gotten to wear to the Expo. Suddenly, the man at the table looked over his shoulder at her and she knew it was Victor Frankenstein.

"Take a look," he said proudly, stepping away from the table. "It's my finest creation!"

Somehow Mary knew she didn't want to look, that if she did she risked the destruction of her mind and her very being. Still, she moved forward, unable to stop.

Laying on the table was a woman that looked just like her, and Mary began to tremble when she saw that its chest was laid open. The dim light that fell over the operating table showed an empty hole where her heart should be, and Mary looked up at the doctor.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Frankenstein pulled a sheet off a mirror and walked her over to it with a hand on her upper arm. "Isn't she magnificent?"

"Me?"

"Yes, of course! The prototypes were flawed, deeply flawed, but after numerous experiments I finally found the right combination." The doctor took a step back, then held open his arms. "There's only one crucial piece missing. Now, come to me!"

The Mary on the table sat up slowly, as if shaking off sleep, and stood up. Her face was blank and she seemed devoid of emotion as she walked toward Mary with her arms open. Though she didn't speak, Mary knew exactly what she wanted and she pressed her hands over her heart.

"No, you can't have it!" She backed away from the advancing clone until she hit the wall. Unable to retreat further, she sank down the wall with her hands covering her head. "Stop! Leave me alone! You're not me!"

With a gasp like coming up from the bottom of a swimming pool, Mary sat up in bed. The monitors behind her head were going crazy and she pressed a hand to her chest. She was rewarded with a sharp pain from beneath the bandages and winced. The light was streaming in through the blinds and she looked around the room. It was the same hospital room she had been in for almost three weeks and she sighed with relief.

Rather than laying back down, Mary raised the head of her bed and reached for the computer Kuroe had brought for her. She knew she wasn't going to get any more sleep, especially with the prospect of the dream returning, so she decided to work instead. A knock on her door pulled her attention away just moments later and it slid open to reveal Napoleon, wearing the same hospital outfit as her and on crutches.

"Hey, Mary."

"Oh," Mary said quietly. "Hi, Napoleon."

"You, uh," he looked out at the hall, then back at her. "You mind if I sit in here for a second?"

"No, not at all." She motioned to the chair by the wall and Napoleon hopped over on his crutches and scooted it out a little.

"This must be Ikkyu's chair," he said with a smile that looked completely unnatural.

"Not his personal chair, but he does usually sit in it." She pushed herself up a little more and winced. "But so does Mr. Kuroe when he comes to see me." Mary watched Napoleon lean his crutches on the nightstand, then take a seat. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to get out of my room for a minute, that's all."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a while and Mary tried to think of something to say. Napoleon stared down into his hands as if he was trying to come up with something as well, but neither seemed willing to say what was on their mind.

"I heard they're letting you get back to class tomorrow," she said at last. "You're lucky."

"I guess. How long do you have to stay here?"

"They want me to start therapy now so I can go back to school soon, but I'm going to have to be really careful at least until my sternum heals." Napoleon looked at her curiously and she pulled her gown's neckline down just enough so he could see the large bandage on the front of her chest. "They basically have to break it open to get to your heart."

"Ouch," Napoleon said, cringing. "Okay, I'm not going to whine about my leg hurting anymore." He let his gaze move over the machines. "You were stuck in here while all that was happening, weren't you?"

"Sort of." She grinned. "I decided I wasn't going to wait around to find out what happened to Ikkyu and Amadeus, and I sort of disconnected myself." Mary held up her left arm, where a large bruise had spread through the crook and was punctuated with a small bandaid. "Kinda wrecked my vein in the process. I'm a mess now."

"Wait. You mean you pulled out your IV and unhooked all those machines? So you could try and find Ikkyu and Mozart?" Napoleon tried to imagine this, combined with the fact that her chest had been pulled in half and her heart replaced a few weeks earlier. "Are you insane?"

"Maybe," Mary said, rolling onto her back. "I was scared to die, but if they were already dead I didn't want to live either."

"What if one had been alive and not the other?"

"I don't know." She looked up at the ceiling, then over at the stuffed cat on her nightstand. "They're both so important to me. But I guess knowing that Amadeus tried to die already, I would have had to deal with it anyway. I would be crushed if Amadeus died," she said, looking at Napoleon. "But I think without Ikkyu I wouldn't see the point in living myself."

"He wouldn't want you to think that way," Napoleon said.

"I know. But I've been in love with him for such a long time. I never let myself think that he could ever like me, it was too painful to know I was wrong," she said. Mary wasn't sure why she was pouring her heart out to Napoleon all of a sudden but she couldn't seem to stop. "Now that I know he cares, and I've spent so much time with him, I don't think I could ever go back to not being loved."

"What're you gonna do when you graduate?"

"Probably write a lot of letters," Mary said with a smile. "It's different knowing he's out there in the world somewhere than if he was dead. I think even if we never got to see each other again I'd be all right just knowing he was out there happy."

"Do you-" Napoleon folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. "Wait, that would have sounded really wrong. What I mean to say is-"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you're going to live long enough to graduate?" Napoleon looked at the floor as if he was embarrassed to even be asking this and Mary smiled.

"I hope so. They said that I might even be back to school in a few weeks. But if I don't," she said, rolling onto her back and looking at the ceiling, "I think things would be all right. Amadeus has hardly spoken to me since before the Expo. And Ikkyu would probably just say it was life and there was no point in getting depressed about it."

"Eventually, maybe." Napoleon grinned. "Don't die, Mary. I don't want him to get all melancholy about things with everything else going on around here." He laughed. "I don't know if you know this about his original, but he didn't always have the most cheerful outlook. And he didn't take it too well when people he cared about died."

"Then I'll make sure to do my best." The door opened and Ikkyu came in. He seemed surprised to see Napoleon sitting in his usual spot but went over to the bed.

"Hi, Mary," he said, sitting on the edge of her bed. Mary sat up and he hugged her gingerly. "They actually unchained this guy from his bed? I can't believe it."

"Ha ha," Napoleon said, rolling his eyes. "For your information, they're letting me go back to school tomorrow." He reached over and pulled his crutches toward him, then stood up shakily. "I guess I'll leave you two alone."

"You don't have to," Ikkyu said with a shrug.

"It's cool." Napoleon limped his way back to the door and Mary waved at him with her fingertips. He smiled at her in response, then disappeared.

"What were you two talking about?"

"How unbearable it is being here," Mary said. "Lucky Napoleon, he gets to escape. I'm stuck here at least another couple of weeks."

"That soon?" Ikkyu looked alarmed and Mary smiled. "Are you sure you should be up and around? That seems like it could be really bad."

"Dr. Kamiya said I've already proved that I can be upright for a little while, so they've got me doing rehab. Walking on the treadmill, standing up and sitting down, that sort of thing. It's like I'm a toddler again or something." Mary leaned back against her bed. "How is school?"

"Weird. It's like they expect us to just act like nothing ever happened." Wary of sitting on her bed since Kuroe had walked in on them, Ikkyu pulled the chair closer to her and sat down. "Everyone's pretty down. Has Mozart come in to see you yet?"

"No," Mary said quietly. Ikkyu smiled.

"Nightingale wanted me to tell you that he's playing again." This brought a strange look from Mary and Ikkyu smacked his forehead. "Oh, man, that's right. No one probably told you, but after his, uh, you know, _attempt_, he stopped playing. Just wouldn't play at all. That's why he didn't perform at the Expo. I guess you probably didn't know that either."

"No," Mary said again. "But I guess that's to be expected." She sighed. "I just wish someone had told me. He was acting strangely, you know. Before I came in here, he was avoiding me and shutting himself up in his room."

"Yeah. But it sounds like he's doing better, so maybe he'll come in here to visit you." Ikkyu was optimistic as usual and Mary nodded. He looked at her computer and leaned over. "What're you working on?"

"I'm just picking up where I left off before I got stuck in here. I'm feeling well enough to be sitting up for most of the day now." She gestured to the computer. "Mr. Kuroe brought me this so I'd have something to do."

"That was cool of him."

"Yes. This is the longest I've ever spent in the hospital wing, so I'm starting to get cabin fever now that I'm feeling better." Mary closed the computer and set it aside. "I'd even be happy with some homework or something."

"Don't say that too loud or they'll have me bringing in all your books." Ikkyu got up and looked out the window, then pointed at something in the courtyard. "Can you see that?"

"No," Mary said, then pushed back the blankets. The leads on the monitors were long enough to allow her to get to the window and look outside and there was no IV to hold her back. She moved slowly and carefully but Ikkyu noticed that she wasn't holding onto things as she had been before. "What am I looking at?"

"See that stone pedestal thing?" He pointed at it again and Mary nodded. "That's the memorial they put up to all the students that died in the attack. The memorial service a couple of days ago was when they unveiled it. Rockswell made a speech and everything."

"I'm sure that was fun."

"I dunno, it was okay." Ikkyu had the sudden urge to put his arm around her waist to hold her up, even though she was showing no signs of weakness like she had at the Expo. He supposed it was a sign that she was really getting better and he started grinning in spite of the situation. Mary looked up at him curiously. "You're really doing a lot better since the Expo, you know. It's kind of crazy."

"I suppose they thought if I could drag myself out of bed and halfway down the hall I was well enough to start moving around. I'm still not exactly supposed to be out of bed unattended, though." Turning away from the window, she moved slowly back toward her bed. Ikkyu watched her carefully, then helped her back up into it. "I wonder if Amelia and Susan are ever going to visit."

"No idea. I'm not in class with either of them." Ikkyu shrugged. "I could ask them if you want."

"No, I'd rather they come by themselves." Mary looked down at her hands. "They're probably pretty upset without Helen around." She tugged at the sheets absently. "It's lonely, though. Last time I was in the hospital I had a lot of visitors, now it's just you. Even Mr. Kuroe doesn't come by as often as he used to now that I've asked him a lot of uncomfortable questions."

"Don't worry," Ikkyu said with a smile. "I'll make sure I visit you all the time so you won't be lonely." He looked over at the flowers, which had been changed since she first was brought in. A new bouquet from Florence had been brought in, but the lilies, the wildflowers, and Mozart's roses were gone. "I'll bring you some more flowers, too." He looked back at Mary and saw that tears were running down her cheeks. "Hey, it's okay," he said, smiling at her. "There are tons of them in the school beds, they're not going to miss just a few of them." He was trying to cheer her up but she shook her head.

"All my friends are gone," she said through her tears. "It's not fair. I didn't even do anything and they're all gone."

"It's okay," Ikkyu said, looking to make sure the door was still firmly closed before he put his arms around her. "You can hang around with me and my friends. They all really like you, you know. Otherwise Nightingale wouldn't have sent you flowers and Napoleon wouldn't have come to visit you. And you've got me, right? I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?" Mary put her cheek against his chest. Through his uniform she could hear his heart beating and the sound comforted her. Ikkyu nodded and put his head on hers.

"Promise."


	17. Mourning Friendships

Ikkyu was waiting outside the girls' dorm, barely able to contain his excitement. Mary had moved back into the dorms the day before and she would be coming to class for the first time since they'd released her from the hospital. He knew how excited she was, and how nervous. She was afraid that it would be too much for her to return to class and that they would take her back to the hospital wing for more rehab.

He looked at each of the girls who walked by, hoping to see Mary. When she finally came out and walked slowly down the stairs, he was a little dismayed to see that she seemed out of breath.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. The stairs kind of get me, even coming down them. It's too bad there aren't any rooms on the first floor." She looked at the school building and sighed. "I'm going to have to go really slowly. I'll probably miss breakfast at this rate. You should probably go ahead without me."

"Don't be silly," Ikkyu said, taking her books from her. "I want to walk with you, even if we have to go slowly." He grinned. "Breakfast is overrated, anyway."

They walked together toward the cafeteria very slowly and their pace kept Mary from being too out of breath. Ikkyu, who was used to walking much more quickly had to work at not getting ahead of her. Part of him was worried that she wasn't ready to go back to class, but he didn't dare say it to her for fear of upsetting her.

Mary's concerns were unfounded. They made it to the cafeteria with plenty of time to get breakfast and Ikkyu walked her to the table so she could sit down with the others. Their group had gotten smaller since Elizabeth's escape and Shiro's graduation, but they didn't have to crowd around the table like they had. Florence beamed at Mary.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm gonna go get our trays," Ikkyu said, pointing at the kitchen. Mary nodded, then turned to Florence with an equally large smile.

"Pretty good. I still get tired pretty easily but for the most part I'm doing well. I still have to go to the hospital wing all the time, though. Cardiac rehab. But I was going crazy stuck in there. Thank you so much for the flowers, though. They were beautiful." Ikkyu had returned with two trays and he set one down in front of Mary. "Oh, thank you."

"No problem." Ikkyu sat down beside her and looked up at the clock. "See? Plenty of time."

"I'm glad. I would have felt terrible if you missed out because of me." She started on her breakfast and Napoleon sighed.

"It sucks that they made you study when you were in there," he said. "You think they're going to make you take the test with everyone else today?"

"Probably," Mary said. "The teacher sent along a syllabus for me to study from. They're probably going to say that I have no excuse for not taking it." She picked up her toast and took a small bite. "I'm interested to see what kind of grade I get on it."

"At least someone is."

They continued to eat and Napoleon, Freud, and Florence got up to head to class while Ikkyu and Mary finished. Ikkyu finished first and sat waiting for Mary to do the same. She seemed to be eating as slowly as she walked and he looked at her closely, then took a deep breath and said what he'd been thinking since she moved back into her dorm room.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to today?" He said it as nonchalantly as possible and Mary stopped eating to look at him. He steeled himself for her anger, or worse, her sadness. Instead, she smiled and shrugged.

"I feel the same as I have the last few days. And Dr. Kamiya cleared me to come back to class as long as I keep taking it slow. Don't worry, Ikkyu, I'll be just fine." She finished her breakfast and got up. "Come on, we're going to be late to class at the pace I'm going."

"Okay," he said, his voice dubious. "But if you feel like you're going to faint or something, let me know. I want to make sure you sit down."

"Don't worry," Mary said. "Everything's gonna be all right."

Just as Mary had predicted, she got through most of the day with no problems. Ikkyu had walked her to class, even the ones they didn't have together, and as a result had spent half his day running to classrooms. At the end of the day he looked every bit as tired as Mary felt and she suggested that they take a break and sit outside together. Thinking this was an excellent idea, Ikkyu went outside with her and sat on the lawn.

"We should go out to the woods," Mary said, laying on her back and looking up at the sky. "I've missed it."

"Maybe we'll do that on the weekend," Ikkyu said. He was sitting up on the lawn with his arms propping him up. "I don't want to wear you out on your first day back. How's your chest feeling anyway? Did they tape you up again?"

"Yes. That's why my posture is so good. At least they left me room to breathe this time." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The air outside smells so good," she said. "Not like the air in the hospital wing at all."

"Really? I never really noticed." Ikkyu took a deep breath. All he smelled was grass and the smell of the flowering bushes nearby. He noticed two people coming toward them and recognized them as Susan B. Anthony and Amelia Earhart. Assuming that they had business with Mary, he looked over at her. "Hey, you've got company."

"Company?" Mary opened her eyes just as the two girls stopped in front of her and she smiled. "Oh, hi guys! I'm so glad to see you." She struggled to sit up without bending her chest and managed after a few seconds. "Sorry. They've got me taped up while my chest heals and it's somewhat inconvenient. Here, sit down."

"No thank you," Amelia said, looking over at Susan. "We just, um, we wanted to come talk to you for a minute."

"Oh. Well, sure. What do you want to talk about?" Mary smiled brightly up at them but Ikkyu had a feeling that something wasn't right. Both girls looked too nervous.

"We..." Susan and Amelia looked at each other uncertainly and Mary suddenly knew what they were going to say. "We've decided to disband the Wollstonecraft Society. It just doesn't feel right to keep going without Helen, you know? I'm sorry to tell you this on your first day back, but I didn't want you to show up to our usual room and not find anyone there."

"It's okay," Mary said, giving them a smile that Ikkyu once again knew was fake. She had been doing that all day and he wondered if it was making her tired. "I completely understand. Don't worry about a thing."

"Oh, good," Susan said with relief. "I was afraid you would be upset about it."

"Maybe just a little disappointed," admitted Mary. "But that's all right. I wouldn't want to make you do something you weren't comfortable with. Thank you for telling me, though." Susan and Amelia both nodded at the same time, then Susan nodded over at the library.

"S-so uh, we've gotta get going, we're studying for Economics." She sounded nervous again and gave Mary a smile. "See you later, Mary."

"Yes, of course." Mary watched them walk away quickly, as if she had some sort of disease that they would catch if they lingered too long. Her gaze stayed on them until they were gone, then she bit her lip and turned to Ikkyu. "Are you sure you don't want to go for a walk in the woods? I really think I'd like to do that."

"If you're sure," Ikkyu said. He still thought it was a bad idea, but Mary looked so sad about the news she'd just gotten that he didn't want to tell her no. "But if you look like you're not feeling well, I'm taking you back to your dorm." He stood up and held out his hands to help her up. Mary took them and pulled herself off the grass.

The walk to the woods was slow and silent and Ikkyu kept looking over at Mary, expecting her to say something about the Wollstonecraft Society. She stayed quiet, though, and he wondered whether it was sadness over the demise of her group or that she was tired and talking would have been the end of her energy.

He couldn't help but think about how the girls had hurried away from Mary after giving her the news. They couldn't wait to get away from her and he wondered what kind of friends would do something like that. If Napoleon was going to give him bad news, he hung around afterward to make sure Ikkyu was all right and tried his best to cheer him up. They'd all had a lot of bad news in the last few weeks but none of his friends had acted like Susan and Amelia.

"I'm sorry about your Society," Ikkyu said carefully. "I know you enjoyed going to the meetings and stuff."

"It's okay," Mary said. "I understand why they don't want to. It doesn't mean we're not going to be friends anymore." The tone of her voice was a little flat and Ikkyu knew she was thinking the same thing as he was.

"That's right," he said with a smile. "Just give them some time, I'm sure it'll be all right."

By this time they had reached the woods and the clearing where they went together to be alone and Mary sat down on a stump. Ikkyu sat behind her with his back pressing against hers and they sat in silence, listening to the leaves rustle. He wondered what she was thinking and if she would talk to him about it at all. After a few minutes in silence, she spoke again.

"Do you think they're happy? The ones who died?"

"You mean the students or the clones who came to kill us?"

"Both." Her mind was specifically on the Mozart clone, as it had been off and on since she'd heard he killed himself. "The Mozart I met seemed so unhappy," she said. "When he was talking about my predecessor, I could tell just how deeply he cared for her. I'm sure it's more than just that, but I wasn't really surprised when Mr. Kuroe said he shot himself. I just wonder if they're happy now."

"Dunno. They did some pretty awful things. That kind of karma's gonna follow them for a long time. You're right, though. They did seem really unhappy." He stretched out his legs. "Maybe they'll find happiness in the next life."

"Hmm."

"Do you have to go to the hospital wing today? For your rehab stuff?"

"No, they figured my first day back at school would tire me out enough. I have to admit, they're right. I'm probably going to go back to my room after this and just pass out for the night." Mary leaned her head back so it was on Ikkyu's shoulder. "Thank you for walking me everywhere today. You didn't have to be my chaperone."

"I wanted to make sure you were all right," Ikkyu said, looking over at her. He wondered if it would be a good time to ask her about Mozart or not. She hadn't mentioned him coming to see her while she was in the hospital but he didn't want to upset her.

Since she hadn't wanted him to tell Amelia and Susan to visit, he assumed she didn't want him to talk to Mozart either. He had figured that they were such good friends that Mozart would come to visit her as soon as he was feeling better. He had also assumed Mary would tell him if she had seen him, though. And even though the three of them had classes together, Mozart had left the room before Mary even put her things away. It worried him.

"Still, it couldn't have been easy for you. You don't have to do it tomorrow," Mary said, closing her eyes.

"You don't want me to keep walking you to class?"

"It's not that," Mary said. "But I don't want you to be late to class because of me. I feel a little guilty about it." She pushed back off him so that she was sitting up straight and Ikkyu moved around so they were sitting side by side, then took her hand.

"Don't feel guilty. There's nothing wrong with needing someone to help you out for a little while. You had someone help you when you were younger, right?" He specifically did not mention Mozart, though he was sure she knew who he was talking about. "So why not let me be the one to help you now?"

"Because..." Mary shook her head, looking down at their entwined hands. She looked as if she was trying to think of something to say and he shook his head.

"Because nothing. I'm your boyfriend, I should be the one to take care of you. Besides, it's not like we clones have families to do it for us, and I've gotta at least be a little better than a doctor, right?" He leaned over so he was directly in her line of sight and smiled at her. "Right?"

"Ikkyu..." She smiled back at him, a genuine, open smile that made his heart soar. Then she looked up, put her arms around him and hugged him. "I love you." Ikkyu did the same, careful not to hold her too tightly. Her chest wasn't fully healed and he didn't want to hurt her. Still, being in her arms was a wonderful feeling and he wanted to return the gesture.

"I love you too, Mary."

"I wish we could always be together," Mary said, her head on his shoulder. Ikkyu leaned his head on hers and smiled.

"Don't worry about that," he said. "We've still got plenty of time."

"Yes," Mary said. "We do."

After her shower, Mary walked back to her room. She envied the girls that could take hot baths; with her heart condition she had never been allowed to take them because they made her heart work harder. She supposed that now that she had a functioning heart it was only a matter of time before she would be allowed to as well. It was something to look forward to but she still wished she could take one right away.

Much to her surprise, standing just outside her door was Florence. She was wearing a very feminine nightgown with a little bow on it, and a shawl was around her shoulders. There was a look on her face as if she was lost and Mary shifted the bucket with her bath supplies to her other arm.

"Florence? Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes," Florence said, giving her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just wondered if I might be able to talk to you for a little while." She held up two ice cream cups and spoons. "I even brought us a snack."

"That's perfect," Mary said, opening her door. "I was just thinking I wanted something sweet but I didn't really have the energy after my bath to go down and get it." She turned on the light and motioned to the bed. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Florence sat down and looked around Mary's room as she put her bath things away. Then Mary sat on the bed across from her and took the cup of ice cream Florence offered.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing in particular," Florence said with a shrug. "How are you feeling?"

"As well as can be expected," Mary said, opening her ice cream. "They're going to take some radiographs of my chest next week to see if my sternum has healed completely, and I have to keep going to the hospital for cardiac rehab. Right now, though, I just seem to get tired quickly. Dr. Kamiya says that'll go away as my heart gets used to supporting my body."

"That's good." Florence took a bite of her ice cream. "I've been really worried about you," she said. "No one at St. Kleio has ever had health problems like yours. The rest of us have always been in such good health."

"I know," Mary said. She really didn't want to talk about her heart condition or her status as an experiment. The only people aside from the hospital staff who knew about it were Kuroe and Ikkyu and she figured it was still supposed to be a secret. "But I should be fixed now. It's only a matter of time before I'm the same as the rest of you."

"How wonderful. It's amazing the things they can do these days," Florence said. "But how do they know your heart is healthy if they cloned it from you?"

"They probably cloned it from my original. She didn't have a heart problem." Mary didn't feel like going into the specifics of how her genes had been adjusted to avoid her original's cancer, and she hoped that Florence thought this was enough of an answer. "They didn't really explain it to me other than saying that it was a cloned heart."

"I see." There was a short silence as Florence finished her ice cream, then she smiled again. "Really, I'm so glad you're back," she said quietly.

Then Florence was crying and Mary was rubbing her back, trying to comfort her. She didn't know what to say. Before she'd come along, it had always been Marie, Elizabeth and Florence. Then Mary had come into the group and the others had disappeared. First Marie, then Elizabeth. Even Shiro was gone now. She supposed that Florence had been afraid she would disappear too.

"Don't worry, Florence. I'm still here." Mary hugged her tightly. She understood Florence's pain all too well. Aside from Ikkyu's friends, she hadn't had many of her own and they all seemed to have disappeared since she had her surgery. The trouble at the Expo hadn't helped, and Mary found herself crying as well. "I'm not going anywhere."

"It's just, I mean, I can't believe that she's really gone," sobbed Florence. "She was my best friend, and I know that she left on her own, just like Marie Curie, but I miss her so much." Not knowing what to say to this, Mary just held onto Florence until she stopped crying. "I'm sorry, Mary, I didn't mean to start crying like this."

"It's all right. I understand." Mary looked at her and wiped her own eyes. "It's hard losing friends. I know. But like you said, she's still out there. Maybe you'll even see her again. You can't give up on her."

"I know." The two girls hugged each other again and Florence sat up. "I'd better let you get some rest. Thank you for listening to me." She slid off the bed and smiled at Mary, a gesture that looked strange with her red, swollen eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

Florence picked up the two empty ice cream cups and took them with her, then gave Mary a small wave before she left. As soon as she was gone, Mary flopped sideways on the bed and glanced over at her computer, which was on the desk. She really was too tired to deal with anything else and closed her eyes.

Earlier Ikkyu had avoided saying Mozart's name but they had both known who he was talking about. It had been bothering her since the Expo that he hadn't come to visit, much more so knowing that he had tried to kill himself. She wondered if he was angry with her, or if she had done something to upset him. There was nothing that she'd done that was any different than usual, and yet he'd been avoiding her since before her surgery.

_What's wrong, Amadeus? Was it something I did? Something I said?_ Mary pushed herself up slowly and got out of bed, then turned off the light and went back. As she curled up under the covers, she thought about what Ikkyu had said earlier. She could always talk to Mozart tomorrow. After all, they had plenty of time.

The next morning, Mary woke up and put on her uniform as usual, pausing to look at the long scar that ran down the center of her chest. It was still fresh-looking, and she wondered how long it would take before it looked less red. Deciding that this was not the time to think about it, she finished dressing and carefully navigated the stairs to the front of the dorms where, unsurprisingly, Ikkyu was waiting for her. She smiled at him and he pushed himself off the wall.

"Hey, Mary. How're you feeling?"

"Good," she replied honestly. Before she'd gone to sleep, she had decided that she was going to go see Mozart before her rehab appointment that afternoon. Until then, though, she had to make her way slowly through the day, something Ikkyu's company was going to make a lot easier. She smiled at him. "Let's get going."

After breakfast, during which she noticed Florence looked much better than the night before, they all walked to class together. Mary told them over and over that they didn't have to wait for her but Napoleon said they had plenty of time to get to class and that it was a relaxing change of pace. They separated at the end of the hall when Florence had to go to her own class, leaving the three boys and Mary to make their way to class together.

"Really," Mary said as they walked through the door, "You could have just come ahead. I know I'm the slowest person in school."

"You're not that slow," Napoleon said with a grin. "Besides, I was moving pretty slow for a while after the Expo and my friends waited for me. Well, most of the time."

"I couldn't help it, I'm a very fast walker," Ikkyu said, shrugging.

Mary went to her seat and slid into it with relief while Ikkyu and Napoleon continued to talk about his time on crutches with increasingly dramatic gestures. She watched them with a smile, thinking about how nice it was to be part of a group. The door opened and she turned toward it immediately, thinking that it might be Mozart. Instead it was the professor, whose books were under her arm. Mozart came in just as she was going to the podium and she glared at him.

"You were very nearly late, Mozart," she said, watching him stride to his seat. "Let's be a little more punctual next time, shall we?" He didn't answer, but went to his seat and sat down without so much as a glance in Mary's direction, the same way he had done the day before. Not to be deterred, Mary pulled a page out of her notebook and started writing him a note. The professor, uninterested in their social lives, continued. "I have some news for you today before we start."

"News?" Napoleon leaned over to Ikkyu. "With everything that's happened lately, I think we've had all the news we can stand."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ikkyu whispered back. "I'm all newsed out."

"It has been decided that your graduation date will be moved up," the professor said. "It will be in two weeks, on the fifteenth. You will be going to your permanent assignments and becoming representatives of St. Kleio in your respective fields." She looked around the room and smiled, seemingly unaware that the students were all murmuring to themselves and one another. "I know you'll all do very well and strive to live up to the legacy of your originals."

"Two weeks?" Napoleon's eyes widened and he looked at Ikkyu. "But we were supposed to be here for almost another year!"

Without saying a word, Ikkyu looked over his shoulder at Mary, whose fingers were pressed to her mouth. Her face was terrified and at that moment he knew exactly how she was feeling. Her eyes met his, sharing each other's despair. Unnoticed by either of them, Mozart's eyes turned to Mary as well. The professor tried her best to get control of the class, but none of them paid her any attention.

Their time, it seemed, was now limited.


	18. An Unreasonable Demand

With the announcement that they would be graduating in two weeks, the student body seemed to be in a low-grade panic. Some of them were worried about not having their research finished, others were already worrying about whether or not they would be able to keep in contact with their friends. Others handled it by acting as if it was just like any other day, hoping that they'd be able to forget it the same way they tried to forget the Expo.

Napoleon's group of friends decided to take this latter approach, meeting up after class in the lounge to play pool and have tea like nothing special had happened that morning. The only one who didn't take her cup immediately was Mary, who seemed as if her mind was a thousand miles away.

"Are you okay, Mary?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine," Mary said, looking over at Florence with a smile. "Do you mind if I have my tea in just a little while? I need to go do something really quickly." She stood up slowly and Ikkyu, who had been leaning over the pool table to take his shot, straightened.

"Where are you going?"

"Just to the conservatory. I need to talk to Amadeus." Mary started for the door, her slow pace making Florence and Freud share a look. Ikkyu tossed his pool cue to Napoleon.

"I'll go with you," he said, stepping around the pool table to follow her. Mary smiled and shook her head. "Mary, the conservatory's kinda far away. I dunno if you should be going so far without someone to help you."

"It's fine," Mary said firmly. "I'm fine. I'll go slowly and come back once I've talked to him." Ikkyu looked as if he was going to protest but she opened the door and shook her head again. "Finish your game. I'll be back before you know it."

"Mary-"

"Just let her go, man. If you two stand here arguing all afternoon, nothing's gonna get done." Napoleon handed him back his pool cue. "It's still your shot." Ikkyu gave him a pained look, then went back around the side of the table as the door closed. "Calm down. She's going to be just fine."

Once the game was over and Mary hadn't returned, Ikkyu was about to go looking for her when the door opened and she came through it looking disappointed. Upon closer inspection, Ikkyu saw that she had been crying. He went to her immediately and sat beside her on the couch.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing. I went to the conservatory and he wasn't there. Galileo said he thought he already went to the dorm." She accepted the plate of cake Florence offered her and looked at it with a sad smile. "I guess he forgot."

"Forgot?" Freud looked over at her from the pool table where he was about to square off with Napoleon, who had been the winner of the previous match. "I thought you hadn't spoken to him."

"I wrote him a note," Mary said, poking at her cake. "Earlier in class. I said I wanted to talk to him and he said he'd meet me after school in the conservatory." She sighed. "Maybe I took too long to get there."

"He probably just had something to get from his room," Ikkyu said, shrugging. "I'm sure he didn't forget, though." Beside him, Mary took a small bite of her cake and didn't say anything. "Don't worry about it, you'll see him tomorrow. It was probably just a misunderstanding."

"Yes," Mary said, looking up at Ikkyu with a smile that seemed half-hearted. "I'm sure that's it." She picked up the cup of tea that Florence had set out for her and took a sip. Ikkyu looked over her head at Freud, who shrugged. "Oh," she said, looking at the clock. "It's almost time for my rehab anyway. I need to get to the hospital wing."

"I'll take you." Ikkyu sprang up from his spot on the couch and Mary nodded, not bothering to argue with him this time. He wondered if it was because she wanted to be alone with him. She bid farewell to the others and they took off down the hall to the hospital wing. As soon as they were completely alone, he turned to her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Mary said, her voice soft. "He really wouldn't just forget about me like that. I know he wouldn't. I'm worried that something might have happened to him."

"Don't think like that," Ikkyu said. He took her hand and she looked over at him in surprise. "Don't worry, no one's around. Anyway, he probably just had stuff to take care of in his room." They walked slowly to the hospital wing where a nurse was waiting for Mary at the end of the hall. Ikkyu had reluctantly let go of her hand after they left the school building, thinking it was unfair of them to have to keep up the appearance of not being a couple when they only had two weeks left to be together at all. He had pushed this thought away as soon as it had come, though. If they only had two weeks together, he was going to make sure as much of it was happy as he could manage.

"There you are, Mary Shelley. We were beginning to wonder if you were coming today." The nurse looked cheerful and Mary turned to Ikkyu.

"Thank you for bringing me, Ikkyu. I'll see you later."

"Sure, no problem." He watched as the nurse took Mary into the room with the rehab equipment, then started back to the lounge.

Napoleon and Freud were still playing and Ikkyu wondered if Mary realized that she was moving more quickly than she thought. He dropped into the wing chair and Florence passed him a plate of cake that he'd never gotten around to eating.

"Thanks, Nightingale."

"Of course."

Ikkyu ate his cake in uncharacteristic silence, his mind on Mary's missed visit with Mozart. He hadn't even known she'd passed him a note but it didn't surprise him. She'd told him that they used to send notes back and forth to each other in class so frequently when they were younger that they were able to do it even when the teacher was looking without incident. It did surprise him, though, that Mozart had gone to the dorm rather than wait for her. They'd been friends since they were kids so Ikkyu didn't understand how he could just brush her off like that, even if she was moving slowly.

Thoughts of Mary and Mozart followed him through the rest of the afternoon and when he went back to the dorm with Napoleon and Freud, his eyes went naturally toward Mozart's door. It was closed and there was music coming from behind it, which meant that if he were to go over and disturb the player, he would probably suffer Mozart's wrath. Instead, he went to take off his uniform and change. After the announcement that morning, Mary had declared that she didn't care how tired she was after rehab, she would meet Ikkyu outside the dorm for a little while. He hadn't argued, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible.

After he changed, Ikkyu picked up a book of his original's teachings and sat at the desk studying it. His heart wasn't in it, however, and he dropped it with a sigh a few minutes later. Mozart was still on his mind and he thought again about going to talk to him.

_I'm just going to check on him for Mary_, Ikkyu thought as he put away his original's book and slipped on his shoes. _I'm not gonna ask him any question or anything. Just make sure he's okay so I can tell Mary when I see her._

He walked down the hall slowly, listening for the sound of Mozart's piano and was relieved when he didn't hear it. At the very least he wasn't going to get shouted at for interrupting. Hoping that Mozart wasn't in the shower, he knocked on his door and waited. After a long moment, the door opened and Mozart looked him up and down.

"What do you want?"

"Hey, man. I was just coming to see how you were doing," Ikkyu said, feeling a little like an idiot. He hadn't really come with a plan in mind. The look of disdain Mozart gave him made something in him snap, and he decided it was time to go on the offensive for a change. "How come you weren't in the conservatory when Mary came to see you this afternoon?"

"What?" Mozart looked surprised by this but recovered quickly. "That's none of your business." He started to close the door but Ikkyu put a hand on the frame.

"It _is_ my business. Mary went all the way over there today looking for you and you weren't there. You might not know this because you've been ignoring her, but it takes a lot for her just to walk around. The least you could do is keep your promise to her." Ikkyu didn't know why he was saying these things. It wasn't like him to be so confrontational but all he could see was Mary's defeated eyes as she accepted a cup of tea from Florence, and it made him angry.

"My reasons are my own," Mozart said, narrowing his eyes. "Stay out of it."

"What's your deal?"

"My _deal_?"

"Why don't you just talk to her? I don't know what's up with you but she's your friend. She's been your friend practically your whole life and I don't know what's so important that you can't take the time just to listen to her. Do you have any idea how hurt she was when you didn't visit her after her surgery?" More things he hadn't meant to say poured out of Ikkyu, and he was surprised that Mozart hadn't just slammed the door in his face yet. He knew it was coming. "Or don't you care about her at all anymore?" This seemed to trigger something in Mozart and he leaned into Ikkyu's face with the same intensity he'd had when he pushed Shiro at the physical examinations.

"Don't care about her? You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about," Mozart said, advancing on Ikkyu. "Oh, you think you do. You've only been with her a few months and you think you know what it means to care about her?" His voice was rising with every word and students on their way to the common room or the bathroom had stopped to stare at them. "You don't have the first clue!"

"So stop being an asshole to her if you care about her so much," Ikkyu said, standing his ground. "You don't care about people by ignoring them when they need you most."

"Hey, what's the problem?" Napoleon hurried over to them, his bath bucket in hand, and looked from Mozart to Ikkyu.

"_He's _the one with the problem," Mozart said, then stalked back to his room and slammed the door hard enough to make both Napoleon and Ikkyu wince. For a second it looked like Ikkyu was going to knock on it again and start round two, so Napoleon stepped in.

"Just leave him alone."

"But I wasn't-"

"Chill, man," Napoleon said, nodding at the other students that were still staring at him. "Come on, let's get out of here." Reluctantly, Ikkyu left Mozart's room. Behind the door he could hear Mozart hammering at the piano as if it had done him a great personal wrong. When they were far enough away so that it didn't look like Ikkyu was about to turn around and go back, Napoleon looked over at him. "What were you two fighting about, anyway?"

"We weren't fighting," Ikkyu said, jamming his hands in his pockets. "I went to check on him for Mary and we just sort of got into a really loud discussion."

"About what?"

"About Mary. I don't care what his reason is, ignoring her like he has been isn't cool. She's worried about him, especially after that whole hanging incident, but he won't even talk to her." Ikkyu shook his head. "I dunno. I thought I could talk some sense into him."

"Yeah, well, you two looked like you were about to start punching each other. If he wants to be a jerk to her, let him be a jerk. Fighting with him's not going to solve anything and you're only gonna get the dorm manager on your case." They had reached Ikkyu's room by this time and Napoleon grinned. "Aren't you Buddhists supposed to be about non-violence and stuff?"

"I wouldn't have punched him," Ikkyu said loftily. "We were just talking."

"You weren't exactly using your inside voices."

"Hey, Ikkyu, Mary Shelley's outside." Babbage stuck his head up the stairs and Ikkyu nodded over at him.

"Thanks," he said. "I'd better get down there. She's probably all worn out from her rehab so I don't want to keep her up too long."

"Good idea. And I wouldn't mention your fighting with her best friend," Napoleon called after him as he started down the stairs. Ikkyu waved at him over his shoulder and went out through the common room. Mary was standing outside in her gym clothes with her school uniform draped over her arm like a towel.

"Hey, Mary. How was your rehab?"

"Tiring. They want me to wear my gym clothes from now on. Even gave me a spare set to wear today." She looked up at him. "Did you know they have an underwater treadmill?" Ikkyu shook his head. "They won't let me walk on it, I asked."

"It's really underwater?" This was something he'd never heard of, and it was fascinating.

"Yes, completely. Apparently it's for people who have hurt their joints. It's easier for them to walk with the water as a sort of buffer. The nurse was telling me all about it." Mary laughed. "They don't say much, but once you get the nurses started they never shut up. Let's go sit down," she said, nodding toward the bench. "I'm exhausted."

"I can just imagine," Ikkyu said. They walked over to the bench, Mary moving as slowly as an old woman, and he held her hands while she sat down. She smiled up at him, much more brightly than she had that afternoon and he was grateful.

"So what about you? Did anything interesting happen to you while I was in rehab?"

"Nope," Ikkyu said without hesitation. "I just studied."

"Ooh, exciting."

"I know, right?"

As they talked, Ikkyu's argument with Mozart faded into the back of his mind. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Mary and the last thing he wanted was to upset her again when she seemed so cheerful. Napoleon was right. Mary didn't need to know.

"It was a combination of these factors plus the economic situation in Russia that caused the decline in popularity of the Romanov-"

A piece of paper fell on Mary's desk, drawing her attention away from the professor's droning lecture on Russian history. It was folded over with a perfect crease and she knew somehow that it hadn't come from Ikkyu. Her heart felt lighter as she opened the note, and when she saw who it was from her face lit up.

_Meet me in the conservatory after class_, it read in Mozart's flowing script. It was only seven words long but it made her happier than anything she'd read in the last few weeks. She scribbled that she would be there, then passed it back to him when the professor turned around to write on the board. Even though she knew it was likely to get her caught, Mary couldn't stop smiling.

Mozart didn't make any attempts to get her attention in any of their other classes that day but Mary didn't care. He had been the one to ask her to come to the conservatory so she knew he would be there this time. Once the last bell had sounded, she said goodbye to Ikkyu with the promise that they would meet up later, and hurried as quickly as her body would let her to the conservatory.

She hadn't been able to express how happy she was to Ikkyu about seeing Mozart again. It was as if everything she had worried about since her surgery had disappeared and the thought that she might be able to play with him again made her smile even wider.

Before she even reached the door to the conservatory she could hear him playing and she paused for a minute to listen. The music was rich and full, not at all the way he had played the last time they were together, and she didn't want to interrupt. It came to its natural end and she went inside, beaming at him.

"That sounded wonderful, Amadeus," Mary said, going to the piano bench. Mozart looked up at her and smiled. It made her heart turn over with contentment. Even if he hadn't wanted to talk to her before, even if he'd tried to kill himself, even if they were about to be sent to different parts of the world, just seeing him smile again was enough for her.

"I'm glad you came," Mozart said, standing up. He motioned to the bench. "Have a seat and we'll play a bit."

"Sure." Mary sat on the right side of the bench, the one she'd always thought of as hers. Mozart sat back down beside her and looked over at her, waiting for her to be ready. Mary put her hands on the keys and nodded. "I'm ready when you are."

They played together, the piece he had written just for them, each note falling into place like drops of rain on the pavement, weaving the music around them like a blanket. Mary didn't miss a single note this time and he wondered if she had been practicing in her spare time. Her fingers moved quickly, gracefully, on the keys and when she closed her eyes to feel the music, Mozart looked over at her and his smile became gentler. All the years he'd taught her, every moment they'd spent together at the piano was worth it in that moment.

"I think that was better," Mary said as they finished. "I didn't mess up this time either." She turned to Mozart, pleased. "What do you think, Amadeus?" There was a moment of silence before, much to her surprise, Mozart leaned forward and kissed her.

Mary froze, unable to move, rigid with shock. Her mind was racing as his lips continued to press to hers, his hand on her wrist. All the smells she had associated with him for more than ten years were suddenly sickly sweet. Roses. Powder. Vanilla. They were all too strong, too much, and nothing like Ikkyu's scent. This last thing gave her the power to move and she shoved Mozart as hard as she could, then pressed the back of her hand to her lips as if rubbing the kiss away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I love you, Mary. I've always loved you, I just didn't know it." His blue eyes found hers and held them. "Can you forgive me for not knowing, for not telling you what was on my mind these last weeks? I didn't want to hurt you." Mozart moved to put his hand on Mary's and she stood up hurriedly from the bench. Frowning, Mozart stood up after her. "Please, tell me you can love me too."

"I-I'm sorry, Amadeus. I love Ikkyu." She looked away from him. "You've known that for years. You were the one who told him to come see me when I was sick. Why did you do that if you loved me?" Her eyes were hurt and angry at the same time but Mozart couldn't stop looking at them. "Why are you doing this now?"

"Because this might be my last chance," he said. "In two weeks we're all going to be separated. I would never have been able to live with myself if I didn't tell you. I suppose I was hoping that all our time together would be worth something to you."

"It is," Mary said, keeping her distance from him as if she was afraid he would try to kiss her again. "You're like my brother, Amadeus. You've always been there for me, and I'll always love you for it. But I can't love you like you want me to."

"Yes. I see that now." He shook his head. "Forgive me, Mary. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know," said Mary, looking away. "I don't want to hurt you either. Can't we still be friends?"

"I'm afraid not," Mozart said. His words sent a shock of pain through Mary's heart and she looked at him pleadingly. "I don't think I can be near you and not mean something to you."

"You do, though! You mean so much to me, Amadeus. Please-"

"Goodbye, Mary." He turned away from her and went back to the piano, his fingers working out a sonata. Mary stood in the middle of the room, her head spinning as she tried to take in what had just happened. She took a step toward the piano and Mozart spoke without looking at her. "You should go."

Her lower lip trembling, Mary squeezed her hands into fists at her side and looked at him defiantly. She wanted to tell him she wasn't going anywhere, that she still had things she wanted to say to him, but when she opened her mouth the only thing that came out was a sob. Pressing a hand over her mouth, she turned and left the conservatory.

Mozart waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps over the music, then stopped playing. Her school shoes made slow, methodical clicks on the floor of the hall and he waited until those were gone as well before he let himself think about what he'd done.

He hadn't planned it. When he'd asked her to come see him, he'd meant to talk to her about what had been happening while she was in the hospital. He'd wanted to tell her about what he'd learned after hanging himself, how much he'd missed her, and how sorry he was about not having been there after her surgery. Instead he'd let Ikkyu's words the night before get into his head and he hadn't been able to think clearly. He loved her, and he wanted her to love him again.

The knowledge that he would never play with her again struck him painfully and he brought his fist down on the keys. They made a magnificent, atonal chord and Mozart leaned his head on the wooden stand that held his music. He forbade himself from crying, from showing anything that would be construed as emotion for her. He'd spent far too much time loving her anyway.

Mary moved as fast as she could away from the conservatory, tears streaming down her face. Some of the other students saw her and began to whisper behind their hands. She didn't care. Her heart raced as much from emotion as the exhaustion of her body. She was moving much too quickly but she didn't notice. She was so hurt, so wounded by Mozart's betrayal that she didn't see Ikkyu coming out of the lounge. Seeing her tears and the way she was holding onto the wall, he ran over to her.

"Mary, are you all right? What happened with Mozart?" His words were too much for her and Mary began to cry in earnest as she fell into Ikkyu's arms. "What's wrong?"

"It's all wrong," managed Mary through her tears. "Everything's wrong now."

"Come inside and sit down," Ikkyu said gently, and Mary shook her head. "What? Why not?"

"I don't want the others to see me like this," she replied.

"Okay, then come over here." There was an empty classroom across the hall from the lounge and he pushed the door open. With no one inside to see her cry, Mary sank into a chair and put her hands over her face. "What happened?" She shook her head and Ikkyu suddenly realized that it must have been something Mozart said to her. Anger surged through him and he knelt down in front of her. "What did he say?"

"Oh, Ikkyu!" Mary leaned forward and hugged him tightly. Ikkyu put his arms around her and she sobbed into his shoulder. Whatever Mozart had said to her, it had to have been horrible for her to be so upset and he squeezed her tighter.

_I can't forgive him for this_, Ikkyu thought with still-growing anger. _How could he do this to someone he says he cares about? As long as I live, I'm never gonna understand that guy._

"It's okay, Mary. Whatever happened, it's gonna be okay," he said, trying to soothe Mary's tears away. They had already slowed to a trickle and he pressed his cheek against hers, speaking into her ear. "I promise it'll be okay."

"No it won't," she said sadly. "It won't ever be again."

"Was it really that bad?"

Mary looked at Ikkyu, not knowing if she should tell him what Mozart had done. She knew he would be angry about it. The thought of him getting upset about was not one she liked but the thought of keeping it from him was painful. Ikkyu's eyes behind his glasses were curious and she turned her attention to her lap, where her hands were folded. Hands that had played their last song with Mozart. Mary felt her tears rising again.

"He told me he loved me."

"That's not so bad," Ikkyu said, sounding relieved. He grabbed a chair from one of the other desks and turned it around, then sat on it backward and leaned his head on his elbows. "You two were together for years, it's only natural for him to care about you."

"No," Mary said, lacing her fingers together. "He meant that he loved me. Really loved me." Ikkyu sat up and let his arms fall on the chair back. He had understood her the first time, but there was a part of him that just couldn't process it. Now that she'd repeated it, the words sank in and for the first time since they had started talking to her in the hospital, a sharp feeling of dread hit him. The way she was acting, he knew there was more and he didn't know if he wanted to hear it.

"Did-did he say anything else?" The words were out. Whether he wanted to hear what Mozart had told her or not, there was no way he could take his question back. At the back of his mind was a worry that Mary was about to tell him that she had told Mozart she loved him as well. _No, that can't be_, he thought desperately. _She loves me. Me._

"He..." Mary pressed her lips together until they made a thin line and Ikkyu reached over to put a hand on hers. She looked up at him and he saw that her eyes were filled with tears. "He kissed me."

"He did _what_?" Ikkyu was shocked. Of all the things she could have said, this was the one thing he had never expected. Mary nodded slowly and the tears fell. While he didn't want her to cry anymore, Ikkyu couldn't help feeling a little relieved. She wouldn't be this upset if she had enjoyed it. He moved his chair so they were sitting side by side. "It's okay, Mary. Are you okay?" It was a stupid question, but he didn't know what else to say. As expected, she shook her head.

"Then he said we couldn't be friends. That he couldn't be around me and not mean anything to me. But he _does_ mean something to me, he means the world to me. Why can't he just see that? He was my best friend," Mary said before dissolving into tears again. Ikkyu put his arm around her and pulled her close, putting his head on hers.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Mary said through her tears. "I just don't understand, Ikkyu."

"I know."

They sat together in the empty classroom until Mary had stopped crying, then Ikkyu walked her back to her dorm under a sky that threatened rain. She moved even more slowly than usual and he put an arm around her waist, not knowing or caring if anyone was watching. He supposed that all that crying had tired her out and he didn't want her to fall down. When they reached the girls' dorm, Mary looked up at him.

"Wait for me, okay? I'm just going to change clothes."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should just lay down and rest." Ikkyu looked up at the sky. "It kinda looks like it's gonna rain." When he turned his eyes back to Mary he saw a determination that he knew he wouldn't be able to argue with for long.

"I really don't want to be alone," she said quietly, and Ikkyu sighed.

"All right, but I'm gonna go change clothes too," he said, nodding his head toward the boys' dorm. "I'll meet you back here and we can hang out for a little while before dinner. Okay?"

"Okay," Mary said, putting her hand on the doorknob. With one last glance at Ikkyu as if he was going to disappear, Mary went into the dorm and left him outside. Overhead, thunder rolled and Ikkyu looked up at the sky as he hurried to his room to change. While he did, his mind raced.

_He loves her, huh? Guess I should've seen it coming. But what am I supposed to say to her? How do I make her smile again?_ The thought of Mozart kissing her came back to him and a piece of the anger he had felt the night before flared, then died. He couldn't even make himself be mad at the guy. He tried to think how he'd react if Mary told him she loved someone else and couldn't.

Once he was dressed, he went back to the girls' dorm to wait for Mary. The doors opened over and over as girls came out dressed to go to dinner and after a while Mary came out wearing a skirt and tank top, something he'd never seen on her. She came down the stairs and looked up at the sky.

"That doesn't look good."

"It really doesn't." He tugged at his sweatshirt. "Don't worry, though. I'll protect you if it starts raining." Mary giggled a little and he blushed. "Yeah, it didn't work out so well before, did it?"

They walked together to the cafeteria and Ikkyu looked over at Mary as she talked about her day, carefully avoiding any talk of Mozart. An incredible urge to hug her came over him and he fought to suppress it. Instead, he told her a story about Freud and Jung arguing over talk of sex and she laughed, a beautiful sound after the day she'd had.

_This is what I want_, Ikkyu thought. _I just want to make her happy as long as I can. That's more than enough for me._


	19. Parting

The students' last two weeks at St. Kleio sped by and before they knew it they were receiving what the school referred to as their "permanent assignments." They traded news of where they would be going, laughed if they had guessed correctly, promised to exchange addresses after they got settled. Mary was no exception, though she didn't know how she was going to go anywhere when she couldn't walk for more than twenty minutes at a stretch on the treadmill.

Rockswell had come back to the school to see them off, and the students were delivered the suits they would wear on their arrival to their new jobs. They were quite different from the usual St. Kleio uniforms and for the few students who hadn't received permanent assignments the suits signified a prestige that would be, for now, beyond their reach. To her surprise, Mary received one of the new suits in the measurements that had been taken at the physical examination, though she hadn't yet heard where she was going.

Two days before the commencement ceremony found Mary in her gym clothes, walking on a treadmill in the hospital wing. She had made significant improvement since the Expo and was beginning to feel like she might be able to walk like a normal person within the next month or two. It was still far off, but she could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Her mind was wandering as the nurse stood beside her, taking notes and adjusting the settings on the treadmill, so she didn't notice the door open until Dr. Kamiya cleared his throat. Mary turned to look at him and the nurse reached out to turn off the treadmill.

"We'll take a break for a few minutes," she said, then handed the clipboard in her hand to the doctor and left the room so Mary and Kamiya could be alone. When she was gone, Kamiya smiled.

"I've got good news for you," he said. "Your rehab is coming along so well that you should only have to stay here for a few months after graduation. I've spoken to a cardiologist in England and she'll follow up with you regularly just to make sure everything stays good."

"That's good," Mary said, a little out of breath. "So I'll be going to England, then?"

"No one's told you?" Kamiya looked surprised and she shook her head. "You're going to be going to the Shelley Estate in England. They're very excited about the prospect of having a clone of one of their famous writers in residence, especially one who is already being published. You'll be able to write all you like, and with your help they hope to bring the Shelley works out of the public domain."

"Oh," Mary said. The prospect of being so important to the estate was daunting and she wasn't quite sure what to say. Kamiya looked like he was waiting for a reply, so she smiled and nodded. "That sounds nice. Thank you, Dr. Kamiya."

"You're welcome. If you'd like me to, I'll tell the nurse to let you finish early for the day." Mary nodded and Kamiya looked at the clipboard. "Yes, this is fine. Besides, you have someone waiting for you today."

"I do?" Mary looked surprised at this and followed Kamiya to the waiting room, where Ikkyu was sitting in one of the chairs. He'd slid down so far in it that his head was resting on the chair back, but when he saw Mary and Kamiya he sat up quickly. "Ikkyu! What are you doing here?"

"I had a headache, so I came to get something for it. I figured I'd just wait for you to get finished before I went to change for dinner," he said, standing up.

"I'm all sweaty," Mary said, blushing. She looked over her shoulder to where Kamiya had been standing and wasn't surprised to find that he was already gone. The man appeared and disappeared more quickly than anyone she'd ever known. "Are you sure you want to walk with me?"

"I don't care if you're sweaty," Ikkyu said with a smile. "I'll walk with you no matter what." This made Mary blush harder and she held up a finger.

"Okay. Let me get my jacket first, though." She went back to the room she had just left and picked up her track jacket, tugging it on to cover up her sweaty t-shirt. Then she went back into the waiting room. "Ready."

They walked together to the dorms, then split up to go get changed for dinner. Mary, wanting to look nice, put on a skirt and boat neck shirt. When she got back downstairs, she found that Ikkyu had a similar thought and had substituted his sweatshirt and track pants for jeans and a t-shirt.

"You look nice," they said at the same time, then laughed.

"C'mon," Ikkyu said. "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

"Me too," Mary said. "All that exercise really gives me an appetite." She walked with Ikkyu to the cafeteria and they got their trays, chatting about her rehab. Mary automatically started over to the table where Napoleon and Freud were sitting with Florence, thinking to herself that she was glad to have their friendship now that Mozart wasn't speaking to her at all.

_Mozart_, she thought sadly, then shook it off. She wasn't going to let him ruin what little time she had left with her friends.

"Can't believe they're really making us study for two more days," Napoleon said, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, what's the point now?"

"There are some clones who don't have permanent assignments," Freud reminded him. "They're going to have to continue studying until they get them, and there's no reason to make them get behind." Mary thought about this, then sighed heavily. She was one of the ones who would still be studying while the others went off to their new jobs, and she hadn't considered this until Freud brought it up.

"I guess that's true," Napoleon said. "Well, whatever. It's not like we're going to worry about tests on anything."

Mary ate her dinner in silence as the others talked about where they'd be going, poking at her salad uncertainly. She didn't feel like discussing what Dr. Kamiya had told her about her assignment because she didn't want them to feel sorry for her for having to stay behind, even for a little while. Ikkyu noticed she was being quiet and tried to pull her into the conversation but for the most part she stayed quiet.

When they were all finished, they took their trays to the window as a group and Mary noticed that they were all walking slowly to keep pace with her instead of going on ahead. For some reason it made her want to cry. Sensing that something was wrong, Ikkyu dumped his tray and grabbed her hand.

"You guys go on ahead," he said. "I'll see you back at the dorm."

"Okay, later." Napoleon shot a knowing look at Ikkyu, who ignored it and pulled Mary to the other side of the cafeteria, to the doors that led to the school.

"Where are we going?" Mary gently pulled her hand out of his but followed closely. Ikkyu pushed open the door to the hall that led into the school building and motioned for her to follow him. "The school?"

"Nah, the garden. No one's watching," Ikkyu said. "The woods are still kinda far for you but I wanna sit outside. Away from the dorms."

"We're going to get in trouble," Mary said, though she didn't stop following him. "We're not supposed to be anywhere besides the dorms at this time of night. They increased security again because of the commencement, remember?"

"Nobody's gonna see us," Ikkyu reassured her as they crossed the courtyard. There were no guards that either of them could see and they made it to the grassy hill without so much as a glimpse of another person. When they made it to the fountain, Ikkyu looked up at the school with his hands on his hips. "Look at it. We've lived here all our lives. It's gonna be so weird to be outside."

"Yes," Mary said, sitting down on the edge of the fountain to rest. There were shrubs and bushes all along the circular path around it and she felt a little more comfortable being hidden. Ikkyu sat beside her and stretched his legs out, then took her hand. Mary looked up at him and squeezed his hand, then smiled. "Dr. Kamiya told me today I'm going to England. I have to stay here a little longer but that's where I'm off to eventually."

"That's great! You're still gonna write, right?"

"Yes. My book will probably come out before I leave." She looked down at their clasped hands. "I had them make a few last second changes so it's been delayed a little while. They didn't seem to mind, though. The publisher is just excited to have a book by Clone Mary Shelley under their imprint."

"I hope I'm getting a signed copy."

"I'll send you one," Mary said, her smile turning a little sad. "It's too bad I won't be around to see if you enjoyed it."

"Yeah. But we can't change it, so let's not worry about it. Let's spend as much of our time together as we can, and be happy. I don't want to remember our last couple of days sad." He tried to smile his usual cheerful smile but Mary didn't return it. "Hey," Ikkyu said, sitting up and putting his arm around her. "I'm still gonna be with you. You just won't be able to see me."

"I know," Mary said, her voice shaking. "Japan is so far away, though. If you were in Europe at least, I could come see you. But Japan..." Her face crumpled and she put a hand over her mouth. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm gonna miss you too." Ikkyu put his other arm around her and she cried quietly in his arms. "Don't cry, Mary. Please don't cry." Mary looked up at him, tears still streaming from her eyes, and pressed her lips to his. They tasted like the salt of her tears and tears rose into Ikkyu's eyes as well. One ran down the side of his face to his chin and he chuckled when he pulled away, wiping his eyes. "Guess I'm not one to talk."

Without a word, Mary put her arms around his neck and pulled him to her again. They continued to kiss as if it was the last time they would see each other, holding on tight, hands brushing cheeks, knees touching, not wanting to break apart for a moment.

Up in Kamiya's office, he and Kuroe stood by the window watching them.

"Teenagers," Kamiya said, shaking his head. "They never change."

"And? You're not going to stop them?"

"Why bother? They're going to be leaving soon." He turned his gaze to Ikkyu. "Well, he'll be leaving soon. Might as well let them be together for the time being. Besides," he said, "I don't think we have to worry about those two. They've recovered well from everything. Better than the others, anyhow." He rubbed his chin. "I wonder if it's because they have one another."

"What do you mean, _he'll_ be leaving?" Kuroe frowned at Kamiya. "Didn't anyone buy-" He stopped, grimaced, and went on. "I thought Mary was going to a permanent assignment too."  
>"She is, eventually. They didn't auction her off with the others because, according to Rockswell, she went for a pretty high amount to an advance bidder. They've been apprised of her health concerns and they're willing to wait for her. But she still needs to finish recovering from her surgery. Her chest and incision have healed but she still doesn't have the endurance she should." Kamiya looked down into the courtyard where the couple were still kissing. It seemed to be getting a little more intense and the doctor looked at them dispassionately. "I suppose one of us should go down there before she overexerts herself."<p>

"By one of us, I assume you mean me," Kuroe said, unclasping his hands from behind his back. "When I came back to this school, I didn't sign up for babysitting duty for hormonal teenagers."

"You might as well," Kamiya said. "She likes you."

"She probably won't after this." Sighing, Kuroe left the office and went down the elevator. As he walked through the darkness he thought about how hard on the students it was to be sent all over the world, not realizing they had been sold to the highest bidder. They were leaving the safety of the only home they'd ever known to be the property of a corporation or group and he took a deep breath as he approached the courtyard. He had to be angry at them. They weren't supposed to be out of their dorms at night. No matter how sorry he felt about their fate, his job was to protect them.

"You two again," he said loudly as he walked up to the fountain, and they stopped kissing, scooting away from each other guiltily. "Come on, get up, don't make me stand here all night." Mary and Ikkyu stood up, both bright red, and went over to Kuroe who grabbed each of them by the upper arm. "I cannot believe you," Kuroe said, steering Mary and Ikkyu down the path to the main building, shaking his head. "Can I go one day without finding you two somewhere you shouldn't be?" He looked at Mary sternly. Before she could answer, he turned his glare on Ikkyu. "And you. You should know better than to let her go running around like this."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Mr. Kuroe," Mary said sweetly, but he cut her off before she could get going.

"Don't 'Mr. Kuroe' me," he snapped. "I am done with your crap. I should—" Kuroe looked up just in time to see the tanned, grinning figure of Rockswell coming out of the administrative building. "Great. Just great."

"Why, Mary and Ikkyu! Where have you little scamps been?"

"They were looking for you," Kuroe said, thrusting them both at Rockswell. "Said something about wanting to hang out with you before they left." The looks of horror on Mary and Ikkyu's faces brought a smile to his lips and he dusted off his hands. "Don't let Mary stay on her feet too long, she needs her rest."

"Oh, of course not! We'll go find somewhere to have a seat so we can talk all night," he said, hooking an arm around each of their necks. Mary and Ikkyu exchanged a look of terror and Ikkyu mouthed the words _all night?_ at her. Then they were dragged into the building by Rockswell, who looked as if Christmas had come early. "I've got a special treat for you two!"

"Great," said Mary flatly.

"Awesome," Ikkyu muttered.

"I knew you'd be excited!"

"That was the worst punishment ever," Ikkyu groaned as he staggered back to the dorm. Mary looked as if she was about to pass out and he shook his head. "I can't believe he made us look at photo albums of him as a kid. Where did he even get those?"

"Hell," Mary said hollowly. "The deepest level of hell because that is obviously where he was created." Her legs started to wobble and she stopped to catch her breath, leaning against the wall. Ikkyu stopped and looked back at her.

"You okay?"

"Just a little tired."

"Here." He went back to her and knelt down. Mary gave him a dubious look and he smiled. "Come on, it's not that far and no one's looking." She sighed and put her arms around his neck so he could carry her piggyback.

"I feel silly," she said into his ear as he walked toward the girls' dorm.

"Aw, come on. No one's watching." Just as he said it, the door to the boys' dorm opened and Mozart stepped out. He looked at them, then turned without a word and went back inside. "Okay, maybe one person saw."

"Wonderful. The perfect end to a perfect night," Mary sighed heavily. Mozart hadn't talked to her since the incident in the conservatory and Mary hadn't gone looking for him when no one else was around. It looked like they were really finished with each other and it broke her heart. Reading her mind, Ikkyu looked over his shoulder at her.

"You sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes," Mary said, tightening her grip on him and laying her head on his back. "It hurts, though. I wonder if it always will."

"Maybe," Ikkyu said. He was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I kinda got into an argument the day before he...y'know," Ikkyu said. "It might have made him mad. I've been wondering if all this was my fault."

"No," Mary said. "It's not. Don't think like that. It was his choice. He had to go and ruin everything." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears again and Ikkyu was relieved that they had reached the girls' dorm. He set her down carefully on the steps and Mary smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning." He laughed. "Napoleon's got it right. They shouldn't make us study our last couple of days."

"Tell me about it." She put her hand on the door and smiled back at him. "See you in the morning." As usual, Ikkyu waited for her to go inside before walking back down the path to the boys' dorm where the windows were all still full of light. He still wasn't finished packing and he supposed he should get on it. Unfortunately, it was about as much fun as listening to Rockswell's stories about his childhood. There was no getting around it, though. There wasn't much time left.

Back in the girls' dorm, Mary was getting her things ready for her bath when a small knock on the door got her attention. She looked up to find Florence peering in at her.

"Oh, hi Florence. What's up?"

"Nothing, really. I just wondered how you were doing, so I came over." She looked as sad as Mary felt and Mary sat on her bed and patted it. Florence came in and sat on the bed across from Mary. "How _are_ you doing?"

"Okay," Mary said truthfully. "I'm just kind of still getting used to the idea that none of you guys will be here to hang out with. It's tough."

"I can imagine." Suddenly there were tears in Florence's eyes and Mary smiled at her, hoping to encourage her to do the same, just the way Ikkyu always did for her.

"Don't worry," Mary said again. "You'll be going to your new assignment soon, out into the real world. I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends and learn all sorts of things. Maybe you'll even become more famous than your original." She pulled Florence gently into her room and they sat on the bed together. Florence rubbed her eyes and Mary smiled. "Everyone is going to love you. I'm going to miss seeing your smiling face in class."

"What?" Florence sat up and frowned. "What do you mean? Aren't you leaving too?"

"No," Mary said, shaking her head. "I have to stay here and finish recovering first. Dr. Kamiya says I'm not strong enough to be outside St. Kleio yet. Then I'll be going to England." She smiled. "Percy Bysshe Shelley's estate has an interest in keeping the family's name alive. Something about bringing the Shelley works back out of the public domain."

"B-but Ikkyu said he's going to Japan. What are you two going to do?" Mary looked away from Florence's sweet, round face, not wanting to see her sadness. "Does he know you're staying here?"

"Yes. I told him just a little while ago."

"I think he's going to be really upset," Florence said, looking into her hands. "He really does love you, you know."

"I love him too," Mary said quietly. "I kind of always have. If Mozart hadn't sent him to visit me in the hospital, I never would have been able to be with him like this. I'm so grateful to him for that." She crossed her ankles and looked down at them. "We'll be okay, though. At least I hope we will. I'm going to keep thinking it will, then maybe it'll come true."

"I hope so too." Florence leaned over and hugged her, and Mary hugged her back. She kept telling herself things would be all right. _Maybe I'll even believe it one day._

The graduation ceremony was almost exactly the same as the memorial service, with the only difference being that the clones who weren't going to permanent assignments sat at the back instead of the front like those who were leaving. The chairs were set up outside in the courtyard with the sun shining down on them. The soon-to-be graduates were wearing their St. Kleio uniforms for the last time so it still didn't seem real. They sat with their homerooms, friends crowding together in groups for the last time, pretending to listen to Rockswell give the address. Since they were in the same homeroom, Ikkyu and Mary sat side by side with their hands on the chair so that their little fingers could touch without anyone noticing. Every now and then he would look over at her and roll his eyes at something the director said and she would try not to laugh.

Even though she wouldn't be leaving for another few months, Mary still got to sit at the front with the graduates and for that Ikkyu was grateful. He wanted to spend every free moment with her until they had to be separated and he knew she felt the same way.

"You are the finest our school has to offer, and I know you will show a passion for the future while embracing the works of the past and bringing them new life. Each and every one of you will be a representative of St. Kleio and your responsibilities will be as great as your names. But I know you will be able to live up to them, and for that I can say I'm proud." He looked over the class and smiled. "Thank you and farewell."

The students stood up as one, filing out of their rows and starting back to their dorms to change into their suits. Mary was still the slowest one of the group but her friends walked with her, knowing it would be the final time they walked together. They were all quiet, each lost in his or her own thoughts, until Florence went into the girls' dorm to change. Since Mary wasn't leaving just yet, she didn't have to change, so she went to the boys' dorm with Ikkyu.

"I'll be back out in a minute," Ikkyu said. Mary nodded and sat on the bench near the dorm, her hands clasped on her lap. Boys started trickling out, some dressed in their new suits, others in their uniforms, walking to the front of the school to see each other off.

A few minutes later, Ikkyu came down the stairs from the dorm wearing a blazer with the St. Kleio crest on its breast pocket, a tie, and a pair of slacks. It looked so unlike him that Mary couldn't help but laugh behind her hand. He rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue to show his thoughts on the outfit, which only made her laugh again.

"I know, I know," he said, loosening his tie. "I feel so stupid in this."

"You look handsome," Mary said. "Very professional."

"I'm taking this tie off on the plane. It's killing me."

They walked together toward the school building for the last time, and as soon as they were there, Ikkyu grabbed her hand and pulled her up the steps to it. When Mary asked where they were going, he just grinned at her. When they were in the building he continued to pull her, finally stopping in an empty classroom. A memory of him kissing her in a classroom after her recital with Mozart came back to her and she smiled.

"What are we doing here?"

"I wanted to give you something," said Ikkyu, taking something out of the pocket of his jacket.. "But I didn't want everyone watching. This is for you," Ikkyu said, holding out his hand to her. "I-I hope you like it."

"What is it?" There was a small, square silver tablet in his palm with a thin chain curled around it. Stamped in the center was a single character, and Mary smiled. "Oh, it's so pretty."

"The character is _kaze_. That's 'wind' in Japanese. I wanted you to have it because we're going to be pretty far apart," he said, looking down at the necklace. "But the feelings I have for you won't change, no matter what. Even though you won't be able to see me, I'll be with you, in everything around you. Like wind."

"Oh, Ikkyu," Mary put a hand over her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. "This is so beautiful. Thank you so much."

"Here," he said, holding up the necklace. "I'll put it on you."

"All right." Mary lifted up her braided hair and he reached behind her neck to fasten the clasp. When his hands brushed the back of her neck, she had to bite her lip to keep the tears from escaping her eyes. She didn't want his last memory of her to be one of crying. "Thank you," she said again instead.

"You're welcome."

"Will you write to me? I'll miss hearing your voice so much, but if I can hear from you every now and then I'll be happy." This was only halfway true and she knew Ikkyu knew it, but she said it anyway.

"I'll write every chance I get," Ikkyu said, kissing her forehead gently. "Even when you get tired of me. I'll write to you until you tell me to stop."

"That's something you'll never hear." Mary put her arms around him and had to force the tears back again. Then something came to her and she looked up at Ikkyu. "Five years," Mary said. "No matter what, we'll see each other again in five years at the latest."

"It's a promise," said Ikkyu. He looked out the window at the gate that was opening in the distance. "Guess we'd better get out there." Mary nodded and followed him slowly through the halls, their shoes making a lonely sound that echoed off the walls. The next day it would be populated with the scant few that were left and Mary tried not to think about it. Ikkyu reached out and took her hand, no longer worried about who might be watching.

They walked together to the front of the school where a line of cars was waiting for the students, who had gathered on the steps to say their last goodbyes. Mary and Ikkyu walked hand in hand, their fingers entwined as they passed the others, who were all dressed the same as Ikkyu. Mary felt a terrible loneliness strike her as she looked at them, then at herself in her blue St. Kleio uniform. Even though she knew she would be leaving just like them soon enough, it was still bittersweet to see them looking so much more like adults.

The cars began to open their doors, and drivers beckoned the students forward. One by one they hugged their friends goodbye, wished each other well, promised to write. Mary dreaded each car as it came up, knowing that one of them would be taking Ikkyu from her at any moment. At last it came, and the driver opened the door.

"Guess that's my ride," Ikkyu said, looking at the black car. "It looks kind of sinister, huh?" Mary nodded, unable to speak. With a smile, Ikkyu turned back to her and put a hand on the side of her face. Mary closed her eyes to lean into his palm, a tear escaping from the corner of her eyes as she did. "Hey," he said gently. "It's not goodbye, right? We'll be together again before you know it."

"I'll write to you. I promise," Mary said, finding his eyes with hers. "I'm going to miss you so much." More tears were running down her cheeks and Ikkyu couldn't help himself. He put his arms around her and she did the same, holding onto him tightly, as if they could stop time and stay together in that moment forever.

"I love you, Mary. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't," she said. "I couldn't. I love you too much for that."

Then, not caring that they were in full view of the last of the student body, Ikkyu kissed her one last time. It was sweet but desperate, tinged with both of their tears. When they parted this time, they both knew it would be months or years until they would be able to touch each other like this and the pain left both their chests feeling hollow and empty. Ikkyu let go of her and walked down the steps, leaving Mary behind on the stone porch clasping her hands in front of her chest. He turned to wave to her one more time before he got into the car, then closed the door. Mary could see his outline against the tinted glass and he rolled down the window so he could watch her until the car took him down the driveway and out of her life.

When he was finally gone, Mary sank down onto the steps and laid her head on her knees. She couldn't stop the tears from coming and she cried softly into her hands. The rest of the students left in a small group, and she was the only one left to mourn the loss of her friends one more time. A hand dropped gently onto her shoulder and she looked back to see Kuroe kneeling behind her.

"Come on, Mary," he said kindly. "Everyone else has gone back to their dorms."

"I don't care," Mary said, wiping the tears that wouldn't stop from her cheeks with the heel of her hand. "I'll stay here."

"You can't." Kuroe stood up and offered her a hand. "I'll walk you." Mary let him pull her onto her feet and hand her his handkerchief. "Come on, wipe your face." She did as he asked, as if she was a small child once again, and walked silently and slowly to the girls' dorm. Kuroe stood at the foot of the stairs looking at her, just as Ikkyu had done almost every night they were together. "It'll be okay, Mary. I'm sure he'll write to you as soon as he gets settled."

"Yes," Mary said, twisting his handkerchief in her hands. "I should probably give this back," she said, taking a step toward him. When she got close enough to hand him the handkerchief, Mary couldn't help herself. She put her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest, something she had done when she was very small. "Thank you, Mr. Kuroe."

"That's what I'm here for," he said, patting her on the back. "If you need anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to call for me. I'll come help you no matter what." Mary continued to cry into his chest and he put his arms around her. All at once she was four years old and he was watching her grow more by the day. He waited until she seemed to be finished crying, then smiled. "Keep the handkerchief. I think you're going to need it more than me for a little while."

"Thanks," Mary said, wiping her eyes again. "I'd better go upstairs and change for my rehab appointment."

"Go ahead, I'll walk with you," Kuroe said. "I need to go see Dr. Kamiya anyway." She nodded and started for the door, then looked back at Kuroe as if making sure he was still there. He laughed his comforting laugh and gave her the smile she'd seen all her life. "Don't worry. Things will work out."

Even then, in the depths of her loneliness, when Kuroe said this Mary could almost believe it was true. She walked slowly up the stairs to her room, then went to her desk where a picture of her and Ikkyu was leaning on her lamp. One of the other clones who dabbled in photography had taken it before her surgery and seeing their happy faces brought the tears back afresh. Mary pressed the handkerchief to her face and cried into it silently, thinking that Kuroe was right. She did need it more than he did.


	20. The Wind

"So how long was the trip from England?"

"It took most of an entire day to get here with the flight, the train, and the taxi. I was so tired last night that I was asleep the minute my head hit the futon. Which was a lot more comfortable than I expected when I saw a big blanket on the ground." Mary and Ikkyu sat on opposite ends of the small table in his room and he grinned.

"Yeah, it was kind of an adjustment from the beds at St. Kleio. But we're monks, we're supposed to live sparsely and stuff. Sometimes it sucks but I've gotten used to it. Mostly," Ikkyu said, making Mary laugh. He hadn't changed at all. "So if you came straight from your place you must not have gotten a chance to see any of Kyoto."

"No, not unless you count the things I passed on the way here in the taxi. It looks nice, though. I read in the guidebook that this isn't the only temple, though," said Mary. "And that this used to be the capital of Japan."

"Yep. And there's one group that runs all the temples in the area, that keeps them in good condition for the tourists. That's how they ended up with me. Sometimes I go to other temples to give talks. It's really weird having so many people sitting and listening to me." He shrugged. "I get to say all the stuff that sort of embarrassed me at school, only when I do everyone takes it seriously. No live comedy routines here."

"The great Ikkyu Sojun, forced to be serious for a change." Mary smiled at him and leaned on her elbows. "You must be so proud."

"Hey, I talked seriously at school sometimes. People just said it wasn't me. Hey," he said with a mischievous smile, sitting up and pulling his legs out from under the table. "I just had a great idea." He went to a wardrobe in the corner and dug out a pair of jeans and a black v-neck sweater, which he held up for Mary to see. "Let's go into town."

"Town? Are you sure you're supposed to?"

"Pfft, who cares about what I'm supposed to do? They didn't even make me take vows or anything here. Just being Ikkyu-sensei is enough."

"But Kizashi-san said that people always come up to you when you go into town. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"Nah, they all come up to me because I'm usually in my robes. I'm going incognito today." He grinned at her, the same way he always had. "They'll never notice."

"Oh no, they'll never notice the tall Japanese guy with the spiked bangs and the glasses leading around a foreigner. You'll blend right in." Mary knew there was no arguing with him, there never had been. He had always been the one to grab her hand and pull her off to wherever they were going, and she had always followed him because she trusted him more than anyone in the world. "Are you _sure_ you're not going to get in trouble over this?"

"Who cares? I haven't seen you in two years." He took off the brown overgarment and tossed it on his dresser, then undid his robes and started to take them off. Blushing deeply, Mary turned away from him. "What? I'm wearing underwear."

"I-I'm just not used to you taking off your clothes in front of me, you exhibitionist," she said, trying to play off the embarrassment she felt. Mary was wondering how long she should wait before turning back around when she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind. She realized that his arms were bare, which meant it was likely that the rest of him was as well, and turned even redder. "Ikkyu! We're in a temple!"

"This is my room. I'll do whatever I want in my room."

"In a _temple_!"

"Yeah, my original would be proud."

"Those were teahouses!"

"We both know what he was up to in those places."

"Y-yes, but..." If she was honest with herself, Mary really wanted to turn around and put her arms around his bare chest, to hold him the way she had never been able to at school. Sometimes it was hard for her to remember that she was an adult now since she was still alone most of the time. It usually hit her around the time she had to drive somewhere or wash dishes that she really was in the real world and had work to do.

"Sorry," Ikkyu said, pulling away from her. "Guess we'll just have to wait until tonight." This made Mary turn even redder and she took a deep breath, then turned around. Ikkyu was wearing his jeans, and she only caught a glimpse of his abdomen as he pulled the sweater down over it. This was as nicely as she'd ever seen him dress outside of a uniform and as odd as it was, she liked it. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Mary said, recovering a little. "I've never been to Japan. What's good to do around here?"

"All the really good stuff is in Tokyo, like amusement parks and stuff. Everything around here is historical." Ikkyu ran a hand through his hair, which was still short with the exception of his bangs, then took off his glasses and wiped them. "There are all kinds of museums, and there's this park where you can feed monkeys. I don't really get out much," he said apologetically.

"Why don't we just start with getting something to eat?"

"Now that I can handle." With a grin that reminded Mary of uniforms and textbooks, he motioned for her to follow him down the stairs. "I hope you brought money, they don't give me any because of the whole vow of poverty thing."

"Don't worry about that," Mary said. "The Estate doesn't pay me but my writing does."

"So your book's doing well?" They walked down to Kizashi's office together, Ikkyu holding his tennis shoes in one hand. "I mean, it must be if you were able to fly out here." Mary laughed.

"Well, yes, it _is_ doing well. But the Estate paid for my plane tickets since I told them I was doing research. Which means I probably should go to some of those museums while I'm here." Mary stood just behind Ikkyu as he knocked on the door frame of the office. Kizashi, who was sitting at the computer, turned around. He did something of a double-take when he saw Ikkyu in regular clothes but gave no indication that he was surprised.

"Hey, I'm gonna go out for a while," Ikkyu said in English.

"Yes, of course." Kizashi stood up and handed Ikkyu a piece of paper. "There's been a change in tomorrow afternoon's dharma talk. Instead of the group from Hiroshima, we're having a group from a Buddhist temple in America."

"America?" Ikkyu's eyebrows rose as he read over the words on the paper. "Midwest Buddhist Temple, huh? That's cool. It'll be fun to meet people from another country," he said, handing the paper back to Kizashi. "I'll see you later."

"Have a good time, Ikkyu-sensei." Kizashi turned to Mary and bowed slightly. "Shelley-sama." Nervously, she bowed back before following Ikkyu out through the assembly hall and into the vestibule to put on her shoes. He sat on the step to put on his shoes and looked up at Mary.

"What do you want to eat?"

"I don't know. What's good?" Ikkyu got up and led Mary out onto the stone walkway. "You're the one who lives here." The words made Mary a little sad as she spoke them but she shook it off. _Come on_, she thought. _You just got here. Don't start thinking about having to leave yet._

"Um, okay. How about udon?" Mary looked uncertain and he grinned at her. "It's a kind of noodle soup with all kinds of stuff that they put in it. Like ramen but with thicker noodles."

"Sounds good."

"I think you'll like it. There's this one with fried tofu that's super good."

"I'm going to take your word for that."

"These came out really cute," Mary said, looking down at a page of photo stickers as Ikkyu put his tennis shoes back in his closet. They had just returned from dinner, which Mary had insisted should be sushi because they were celebrating. With the sushi had come sake, so by the time they got back to the temple they were both laughing much too loudly at everything.

Ikkyu wasn't sure where the monks had all gone but they were nowhere to be found. It wasn't like they had a wealth of places to go, either. He wasn't about to complain, though, he had a feeling Kizashi would disapprove of his being a little drunk no matter what his original might have done.

"I'll find a pair of scissors tomorrow and we can cut them in half so I can have some of them," he said, going over to the closet door and sliding it open. "Dunno what I'm gonna put 'em on, though. It's not like I've got a cell phone or anything."

"Oh, that reminds me." Mary set down the stickers and crawled over to her computer bag. She fished out a cell phone and held it up, then snapped a picture of Ikkyu dragging a futon over from the closet. She seemed satisfied with it, then patted the tatami beside her. "Hey, come over here, I want to take a picture."

"Of what?" Ikkyu dropped the futon and went over to sit beside her.

"Of us, silly." She handed him the phone. "Here, your arms are longer." They scooted together and Ikkyu put his arm around her, then smiled and took the picture. He turned the phone around so he could see it and Mary leaned over to join him. She smelled sweet, some light floral scent that he couldn't quite place, and he fought the urge to kiss her. "That came out nice," she said, taking back the phone. "Thanks."

"No problem." He got up and went back to the futon while she set down the phone and started looking at the stickers again. Once he had the futon unrolled and set out, he went and sat across the table from Mary. "So what do you wanna do tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Mary said, leaning on her elbow. "Whatever's fine."

"Well, that group from America's gonna be here about ten," Ikkyu replied, stretching out his legs. "After that we can go to a museum so you can do your research. It's kinda crazy, though, y'know? They're traveling thousands of miles just to hear me talk. No pressure, right?" He looked over at Mary, who was watching him intently. "Guess this means you'll be able to hear my talk too."

"I'm looking forward to it. I was actually hoping on the plane that I'd get to sit in for a service. I learned so much from you at school, I can only imagine what you'll be able to teach me now."

"Now I'm really nervous," he replied. "If I screw up in front of fifty people, that's one thing, but if I screw up in front of you..." He smiled at Mary a little sheepishly. "It's different. I want you to be proud of me."

"I'm alreadyproud of you," she said, reaching across the table toward him. "And I know you'll do fine."

"Thanks." Instead of taking her hands, he got up and went around the table so he was sitting beside her. "As long as I've got you here with me, everything'll be cool."

"Now _I'm_ nervous. Oh, I almost forgot!" Mary pulled her bag over to her and opened it, then dug around until she came out with a hardcover book. "Here. It's scheduled to be released next month. I wanted you to have the first copy, since you helped me with it at school."

"Really?" Ikkyu took the book from her and turned it over. "Thanks! This is really awesome. I never knew books took this long to come out."

"Well, the surgery and rehab kind of took me out of commission for a little while and then I spent time editing it and doing some rewrites. After that it can take the better part of a year to get it published." She laughed nervously. "I hope you like it. There's always this pressure on writers to make sure their second book is as good as the first."

"I'm sure it'll be great. I liked it a lot when I read what you had at school." He looked up and saw Mary blushing, fidgeting with a crease in her pants. "Thanks, Mary. This is the best present." He grinned. "Actually, the best present is having you here with me but the book's a close second." Setting the book on his table, he scooted closer to her and kissed her lightly. Mary put her arms around his neck and pulled him as close as possible.

They continued to kiss, confident now that there was no one to stop them. There would be no Kuroe to drag them away, no fear that they would be caught. Only the two of them, their hearts, and the touch of each others' hands. It was what Ikkyu had waited years for, to have her in his arms and not have to let go. Mary was soft and warm against him, and her mouth tasted a little of the sake they'd had with dinner. She was perfect.

"I'm so happy you're here," Ikkyu said, his voice little more than puffs of breath in Mary's ear. "I'm afraid to go to sleep. I might wake up without you."

"Don't worry about that," Mary said, her eyes as gentle as always. She was blushing again and Ikkyu brushed her hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. "I'll be right here. I promise." She was the one to kiss him this time, and a few minutes later they turned out the lights.

"Kindness and compassion go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other; kindness often springs from compassion and it costs nothing. Buddha's wisdom teaches that a candle can be used to light other candles, and its light never decreases in the sharing. Thus by sharing kindness with others, our capacity to care for them only grows."

Sitting at the back of the assembly hall on her own cushion, Mary watched Ikkyu speaking on the dais, unable to stop herself from smiling proudly. He sounded so sure of himself, just as he always had at St. Kleio. His absolute certainty in just about any situation was one of the things she loved about him. There had been no need for him to worry, he was doing what he had been born to do.

Mary's mind wandered to the night before and her cheeks were suddenly burning. She glanced around at the people nearby, hoping they weren't looking at her, but they were all focused on Ikkyu. Mary tried to force her train of thought to the dharma lesson but it didn't stay there for long. It had been wonderful, just as she'd expected, but it was the closeness to him that made it so. Waking up beside him had made her happier than she'd ever thought she could be.

She turned her attention back to Ikkyu's teaching, absorbing his words along with the rest of the people in the room. The meditation and chanting before the dharma talk had cleared her mind of its hundreds of racing thoughts so, with a bit of effort, she finally shoved the thoughts of his lips and hands to the back of her mind and listened to Ikkyu.

"Buddha also taught that good men and bad men differ radically. Bad men never appreciate kindness, they only take without thinking of the person who gave. Good men, on the other hand, try to express their appreciation and gratitude by returning the kindness shown to them. Not just to those who helped them, but to everyone around them." Ikkyu smiled at the audience. "Now, let's all go out and show kindness to our fellow man." He stood up and bowed to the people in front of him, who stood and bowed back.

Ikkyu came down from the dais and was immediately surrounded by the group from America, all of whom wanted a moment with the great teacher. Maybe because she looked like them, none of the group seemed to notice Mary. Not wanting to interfere with their talking to Ikkyu, she hung back with her hands clasped in front of her, just watching him. Everyone seemed so eager to talk to him, and she could tell from the way he was smiling that he was just as eager to talk to them. It made her happy, but also a little lonely.

"Ikkyu-sensei really is quite good with them," commented Kizashi, and Mary turned to see him standing beside her. She hadn't even heard him come up. "The foreign groups are especially pleased that he speaks English. It's not often that they get to hear a great teacher speak without an interpreter."

"He always was good with people," Mary said, her eyes still on Ikkyu, who was shaking the group leader's hand with both of his. "It's one of the reasons I-" She stopped short and blushed. "I mean, I've always admired that about him. To be honest, I'm a little jealous."

"There is much to admire about you as well, Shelley-sama. It takes great courage to travel to a foreign land in order to find someone you care for." Mary, still unused to have their relationship out in the open and unsure of how to respond to this, looked at the statue of Buddha at the head of the room. "It is obvious how deeply you care for him, and how deeply he cares for you," said Kizashi with a calm smile. "Love, kindness, compassion; these are all sacred. There is no need to hide it."

"Ex-excuse me?" One of the young men from the American group came over to Mary and looked at her almost shyly. "Are you Mary Shelley?"

"Yes," Mary said, surprised that he recognized her.

"I knew it! I'm a huge fan," the young man said, beaming at her. "My name's Henry Pulaski, I'm from Madison, in Wisconsin. I'm really looking forward to your new book," he continued before Mary could say anything. "I've already pre-ordered it. Are you going to be touring? Do you think you'll come to America?"

"I'm almost certain I will be touring," Mary said, finally getting a word in. "And hopefully I'll be able to come to America this time."

"Oh, man, I hope so. I'd even drive to Chicago to see you." He looked excited by the idea and Mary wasn't sure how to reply. She rarely got to meet fans for more than a few seconds, and while she was happy to know he liked her work she still wasn't sure how to react. "If I bring my copy of your first book, will you sign it too?"

"Of course," Mary said with a smile. "In fact, hold on just a moment for me." She held up a finger, then turned to Kizashi. "Excuse me, Kizashi-san. I'll be right back." Leaving the two men in the assembly hall, Mary hurried up the stairs until she was in Ikkyu's room and opened her computer bag. A small notepad was in the pocket and she tore off a sheet, scribbled something on it, then ran back down the stairs.

"Such an awesome day," she heard Henry saying to Kizashi excitedly. "Getting to hear a dharma lesson from Ikkyu-sensei and meeting my favorite author all at once; it's like a dream come true." Mary came around the corner with a smile on her face.

"Thank you for waiting," she said, then held the paper out to Henry. "This is my address in England. If you send me your book, I'll sign it and send it back to you. My assistant will make sure it gets to me safely."

"Really?" Henry took the paper from her in disbelief. "Thanks! This is so cool of you!" He looked over at the rest of the group, then took out a camera. "Just one more thing, and I swear I'll stop bugging you. Can I get a picture with you?"

"A picture?" This wasn't a new request for Mary, but it always threw her a little. "Of course."

"Awesome!" He turned the camera on, then motioned to one of his friends in the group, which was starting to make its way to the door. "Hey! Kurt! Will you come take a picture for me?" His friend Kurt came over after bowing to Ikkyu, who looked curiously over to where Mary was standing. He followed Kurt after saying goodbye to the last of the group members.

"What's up?"

"Oh, Ikkyu, this is my new friend Henry," Mary said, gesturing to her fan. "We're going to take a picture together."

"That's cool." Ikkyu grinned and pointed at himself. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all! That'd be great!" Henry handed the camera to Kurt, then stood between Mary and Ikkyu. The three of them smiled for the camera and Kurt snapped a picture. "Hey, let me get a picture of just you two by the altar. Is that cool? Taking a picture of the altar, I mean?"

"It's fine," Ikkyu said, he smiled back at Mary. They walked over to the grand altar and stood in front of it together for the picture, Mary standing just in front of Ikkyu and his robes in the layered shirt and skirt combo she was glad she had decided to wear.

"Thanks for doing this," Kurt said as Henry put away his camera. "He never shuts up about you. Of course, this is probably going to make him even more insufferable." Mary shrugged and he smiled. "I liked your book, by the way."

"Thank you," Mary said. "I'm always happy to meet fans." An idea came to her and she looked over at Henry. "Would you do me a favor and email me a copy of those pictures?"

"Sure!"

"Wonderful." Henry handed back the paper Mary had given him and she wrote down her email address. Ikkyu leaned over with a grin.

"Send me one too," he said brightly. Before he could ask, Kizashi took the pen from Mary and wrote down the temple's email address. "Thanks!"

"No problem! Man, you guys are both so great," Henry said, glancing back at the now-empty assembly hall. "Guess I'd better get going. It was so great to meet you, Miss Shelley, Ikkyu-sensei." He shook Mary's hand again and bowed to Ikkyu, then left with Kurt. Once they were gone, she exhaled.

"I wasn't expecting that," Mary said. "It's kind of rare for me to get recognized."

"Not for long," Ikkyu said, putting his arm around her shoulders and winking. "Before you know it, everybody's gonna know what Mary Shelley looks like. You won't be able to leave the house without people asking for autographs. Hey, once they're done taking pictures of the temple, you want to go sit by the lake?" Mary had known Ikkyu long enough to not be surprised by the sudden left turn his conversation could take, and she nodded.

"If you'll excuse me, Ikkyu-sensei," Kizashi said, looking between Ikkyu and Mary. "I need to speak with the sensei from the American temple."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Ikkyu watched him go out the front door, then turned to Mary. "You were lucky that I had an English-speaking group today," he said with a smile. "Otherwise I have a feeling you wouldn't have understood much."

"My Japanese is pretty shaky," Mary admitted. She looked around to make sure none of the monks were watching and that no one from the American group had come back in, then took his hand. "To be honest, though, I would have been happy just listening to you talk."

"If you're gonna be here another week, you'll get to hear me talk a lot. We usually have groups come in on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Some Saturdays, too." Kizashi came back in, which Mary took to mean that the group had gone. Thinking the same thing, Ikkyu nodded toward the back door that led out to the garden. "Let's go sit outside for a little while."

"Okay," Mary pulled her hand out of his but he took it again and shook his head.

"We don't have to hide it anymore," Ikkyu said insistently. Mary looked around the hall and lowered her voice.

"It's one thing in your room, but it still feels weird in the assembly hall."

"Thich Nhat Hanh said that people spend too much time dwelling on the negative, that we should see the positive in all things. We shouldn't spend the time we have together worrying about what other people think." He sounded so professional when he spoke, yet sounded completely natural at the same time, and Mary giggled behind her hand. "What?"

"Sorry. I'm still not used to Ikkyu-sensei."

"To be honest, neither am I." After stepping into their shoes, they walked out into the garden and discovered that the Americans were still taking pictures. Worried they would see the great teacher holding hands with a writer, she tried to pull away, but Ikkyu refused to let go. After waving to them, Ikkyu led Mary out to the side of the lake where there was a group of rocks and small trees sticking partway out into the water. "Come on, there's a flat rock out there that's almost like a bench."

"All right." Mary followed him to the side of the lake and saw the rock he was talking about. They went out and sat on it, Ikkyu leaning back on his hands in typical relaxed fashion while Mary sat with her hands in her lap, looking out over the water. "It's so peaceful," she said. "And quiet."

"Yeah. Sometimes it's too quiet, y'know?" The group and their bus had finally left and the monks were once again conspicuous by their absence. Ikkyu didn't seem concerned about it, so Mary put it out of her mind too. After a long silence, Ikkyu looked over at her. "What do you want to do today? We can go to one of the museums or something before we come back for the evening chanting and meditation. I don't have a group tomorrow, so we could go up to Monkey Mountain."

"Sure," Mary said. "I read about it in the guidebook. I'd love to feed the monkeys." She crossed her ankles and leaned back to look at the sky. "There's so much I'd like to see in Japan. As long as I don't have to talk to people too much. I don't want people to laugh at me."

"No one would laugh, trust me. I'd like to visit England someday, too," Ikkyu said. "It'd be cool to try fish and chips and drink those dark beers you see on TV."

"I'd like that," Mary said, looking over at him. "You could meet my cat, Percy."

"You named your cat after your original's husband?"

"Sure, why not? It seems right to have a Percy Shelley around the place," Mary said. "The Estate loved it. They wanted me to keep him in the main house for visitors to see, but he's a little skittish around new people." She grinned at Ikkyu, who sat up suddenly and looked at her with unusual seriousness. "What's wrong?"

"What are we gonna do? You and me, I mean," Ikkyu said quietly. "I want to see you again." He laughed. "To be honest, I don't want you to leave."

"I have to," Mary said, covering his hand with hers. "They need me back at the Estate, just like they need you here. But I was thinking that if you don't mind, I could come here again. Maybe once a month? I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it's better than what we had the last few years, right?"

"You think they'll let you?"

"I don't see why not, if it's only for a week. My original loved to travel, it's part of my identity." Mary leaned her head on his shoulder. "They can't keep us apart forever, you know. Maybe in a few years we'll be able to be together for good."

"A few years?" Ikkyu dropped his head back and stared up at the sky. "We have to see each other twelve times a year for the next few years?"

"I know," Mary said, looking out over the lake. "I'll come more often if I can, but I have to write too. And they want me to start giving talks on feminism and gender politics as well." Henry's words from the temple came back to her. "And I'll probably have a book tour to deal with soon, so I'll be traveling all over. Even if we were living in the same place, we might not get to see each other as often as we like."

"I know, it's just..." Ikkyu sighed deeply. "I want to be the one you come home to."

"Me too. And that's how it will be, just not every day." Ikkyu looked at her, a small frown on his face. "It doesn't matter if it's Japan or England, wherever you are, that's my home." She smiled over at him and he reached out to her unexpectedly and hugged her to his chest. Blushing, Mary leaned into his embrace. "I love you so much."

"Me too," Ikkyu said. "You're my world, Mary."

They sat like that for a long time, and when they looked up they found that they were both crying a little. Laughing, Mary wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and Ikkyu took off his glasses so he could do the same.

"Come on," Ikkyu said, standing up and offering her his hands. "Who wants to sit around crying when there's okonomiyaki for you to try?"

"What's that?" Mary let him pull her up and they headed up to the temple again.

"Food. It's really good. Trust me," he said, seeing the dubious look on her face. "You liked the udon yesterday, right?"

"I trust you," Mary said, smiling at him. "Always have."

They went up to the top of the temple and Ikkyu changed into jeans and a t-shirt, over which he put a hoodie that made him look like a fashionable version of the way she remembered him from school. For a moment it looked as if Mary was going to cry again but Ikkyu headed it off with a kiss. Then he reached out for her hand. She paused for a moment, then took it with a sureness she hadn't felt since their farewell at St. Kleio. Ikkyu squeezed Mary's hand tightly, then they walked together out into the streets of Kyoto.

~ End ~

_Thank you so much for reading my story. I would love to hear what you thought of it, good or bad. It's canon up through Volume Seven of Afterschool Charisma, but that could all change now that Volume Eight is due out this month. If everything goes sideways (like it tends to at St. Kleio), then I hope you'll enjoy this story for what it is in this moment. Thank you again for reading!_

_- Yumeko_


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